Associations have a vital role in education and in setting professional standards, but in order to stay relevant, organizations need to keep up with the latest trends affecting the education-to-employment system.

In a recent post in Association Success, Shelly Alcorn touches on cultural and societal aspects that are changing the nature of education. To start, she points to the sharp rise in student loan debt “acting both as a burden on enrolled and recently graduated students, and a deterrent for prospective students.”

Alcorn also nods to the closing of small colleges and declining enrollment in higher-education institutions.

And she notes that many technological advancement skills are being walled-off from traditional schools and instead being taught solely at corporations like Google and Facebook.

“Associations have a responsibility to bring those threads back together,” says Alcorn. “If you represent the academic community and you have industry sponsors, or vice versa, you can start brokering these conversations so information flows more openly between industry, academia, and associations.”

Swipe Right on Networking

I spent a week on Bumble’s speed networking platform ‘Bizz.’ https://t.co/q7QDYI1YEU

— VICE (@VICE) June 19, 2018

The dating app world has turned its attention to professional networking. Last year, Bumble started allowing users to switch to “Bizz” mode to make professional connections.

“Like the dating app, Bizz is designed to empower women by allowing them to make the first move,” writes Molly Kay in an article for Vice. “Some are calling it ‘the new LinkedIn for women,’ claiming that Bizz could be a threat to LinkedIn’s online networking platform.”

Kay tested out the app for a week and found that some women loved this approach. “I connected with several women who felt empowered by being able to make the first move,” she says. “Some even indicated that they were looking to avoid connecting with men altogether.”

Other Links of Note

Infographic of the Day: SocialFish shares an image that makes the connection between associations and online reviews.

Stand out. Here’s how to attract more volunteers at recruitment fairs from Engaging Volunteers.

Should organizational leaders address the loneliness of employees? A Forbes contributor says yes and provides several ways to facilitate connection at the workplace.

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