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...because education is key to success

Part four in a series about the value of League membership

The League's in-person, telephone and Internet programs better equipped credit unions' front line staff, board members, and management to fulfill their roles. In 2011 we:

Offered more than 173 training programs to more than 2,400 participants, chiefly in the areas of lending and compliance.

Added more webinar and teleconference topics to make training even more affordable. Our webinar topics expanded by 20% in compliance, lending, security, director training and social media.

Added convenience via webinar participation "on demand." We archived our webinars online to offer learners 24/7 convenience. On-demand sessions included options on directors’ financial literacy to help state-chartered credit unions acquire some of the same competencies that the NCUA now requires of directors of federal credit unions.

Offered freebies and discounts. Each small credit union could enroll free in 2 compliance webinars. Additional discounts were provided for credit unions enrolling multiple participants and registering for multiple sessions. Convention included a significant discount for young professionals.

Significantly enhanced opportunities for directors. In 2011 directors could access training in person – such as at convention or via our fall director’s conference – as part of webinars offered live or "on demand" 24/7, via a certificate program that brings instruction to them at a regular board meeting, or via self-paced correspondence courses allowing learning at home, work or anywhere. Topics for director training included the Bank Secrecy Act, board fiduciary duties and legal liabilities, directors’ roles and responsibilities, asset/liability management, succession planning, financial reports and ratios, being a visionary and credit union challenges and opportunities.

Facilitated roundtable discussions for credit unions for networking and idea sharing. Sessions were offered by asset size and area of expertise, such as mortgage lending, compliance and human resources.

Provided 900 convention attendees two full days of training on more than 30 topics – all for less than what you might pay for a single-topic training session anywhere else.

"Training has to be affordable for credit unions but also something they can fit into busy schedules," said Jennifer Esser, Director of Education for The League. "The majority of our trainings are now delivered online as well as archived for 24/7 convenience. In 2012 we’ll continue to make training convenient and affordable as well as provide discounts to offer training to even more individuals."

For example, The League’s state Government Affairs Conference in Madison Jan. 24 offers one free registration to any credit union that offers its employees payroll deduction for political fundraising and $89 registration – almost half off the regular price – for young professionals ages 35 and younger, first-time attendees and staff with active Members’ Conduit Accounts. Young professionals can also enroll in a free pre-conference workshop.

Watch League News for more about what we have accomplished together in 2011 as a united League. The League's homepage links to all of the articles in our series.