The definition of evolve is to change or develop into a better, more complex or more advanced state.

That word is a good fit for what is happening within the ASA Education Foundation and the ASA University platform, which continues to be the unquestioned industry standard-bearer for training your company’s employees.

At the forefront of ASA-U’s evolution is the current uplift underway across ASA University courses. This comprehensive update to ASA-U’s trusted eLearning platform features many newly refreshed courses already available and more are rolling out through the remainder of 2025. This uplift initiative brings a fresh look and feel to the high-quality education ASA members have relied on for decades.

So what exactly is going into this uplift? In close collaboration with the ASA University Task Group and the ASA Workforce Development Strategic Council, and shaped by direct feedback from ASA members, the uplift reflects what learners told the ASA-U team they wanted — more relevant, engaging and accessible training that aligns with how today’s professionals learn best.

These refreshed courses feature a modern, intuitive interface for a smoother, mobile-friendly experience, visually rich live-action videos that simplify complex concepts through demonstration, scenario-based assessments that place learners in real-world situations and high-impact 3D product imagery that adds depth to technical training, as well as concise, take-home summaries for practical, on-the-job reference and hands-on application activities to reinforce learning with real-world relevance.

As ASA Vice President of Education Taylor Albano puts it, the updated approach makes content more easily digestible and immediately applicable — ideal for learners balancing education with day-to-day responsibilities.

Interested in taking one of these new courses for a test drive? Click here.

If you have any questions or want to learn more, shoot an email to education@asa.net.

But that’s not all the ASA-U team has been up to. Its Master of Distribution Management program recently celebrated the largest group of graduates.

The MDM program is a 12-month, expert-led educational program specifically designed to help leaders in the distribution industry enhance their skills and drive impactful results.

MDM is uniquely tailored for our industry and its challenges, delivering practical distribution mastery along with leadership vision. Some of the critical topics covered include managing conflict, key financial metrics, effective leadership, visionary thinking and succession planning.

And the benefits are win/win. The signature capstone project experience included in the MDM program drives a real-world business project at the student’s organization that can deliver tangible results — talk about ROI.

Check out the Capstone Project Lookbook to see the amazing work these students have been doing in the program.

In this recent graduate class, students spanned a wide range of job roles and industry experience — emphatically showing that ASA members are investing in the future of leadership. These graduates are stepping into leadership roles with confidence and armed with the skills and knowledge gained through this transformative experience.

As I write this, a new MDM session is just getting underway with a final class kicking off later this year.

If you have someone or multiple people in your company you feel would be good candidates for the MDM program, check out www.asa.net/mdm.

With all the great resources the ASA Education Foundation and ASA University continues to provide, now is the perfect time to invest in the growth of the most precious assets you have — your workforce.