Training & Events
Professional Development & Training
To promote professional development opportunities for our stakeholders, CAEL offers a variety of self-paced and live, online learning experiences. Whether you opt for micro-learning or a longer, workshop-format experience, our training focuses on increasing your knowledge and providing you with best practices to support your work with adult learners and workers.
Instructor-Led Training
CAEL has developed several online training courses that are delivered asynchronously (when convenient for you), with portions led by live instructors. Participation includes watching presentations, reading content, completing activities and projects, and discussing topics with fellow students in community forums.
From the Ground Up: Building the Foundations of a CPL Program
This four-week asynchronous online course explores the different opportunities students have to demonstrate their knowledge and learning as well as the impact PLA/CPL has on organizational practices and student success.
Participants will learn how to build an action plan for executing a prior learning assessment program on their own campuses. (Member discount available.)
Successful completion of this course will count as 8 hours of professional development in competencies 1,2,3 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
Career and Education Advising
This twelve-week online, instructor-led course is designed specifically for those who need to provide career and education advice to adults. Participants learn how to apply career development theory and advise students from diverse social, cultural, and economic contexts. Invest in helping adult learners succeed. (Member discount available.)
Successful completion of this course will count as 24 hours of professional development towards CWDP Competencies 2,4 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
Assessing Prior Learning
This three-week online workshop prepares faculty to draw on introductory information and concepts about prior learning assessment (PLA)/credit for prior learning (CPL) and then serve as portfolio assessors. It provides case studies and use scenarios to explore the experience of portfolio assessment. Participants complete practice exercises using student-developed portfolios.
Participants who complete the course requirements will obtain a CAEL Assessing Prior Learning Certificate upon workshop completion. (Member discount available.)
Successful completion of this course will count as 6 hours of professional development toward CWDP Competencies 2,4 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
The Workforce Ecosystem: Building Partnerships for Community Growth
This four-week asynchronous online course explores how employers, postsecondary education and workforce development entities must act in partnership to provide high-quality job training as the country experiences a significant increase in short-term occupational skills training programs tied to in-demand employment, particularly for historically underrepresented communities.
Course Objectives:
- Explore the roles of workforce development and postsecondary education to support increasing equity, career and skill development resources and services, etc.
- Examine key concepts related to workforce and economic development, including the Principles of a Healthy Workforce Ecosystem.
- Explore higher education's role in the workforce ecosystem.
- Develop/strengthen ecosystem partnerships.
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for employers, postsecondary education and workforce development entities to learn from each other and work together to grow communities.
- Customer Service Methodology
- Diversity in Workforce Development
- Labor Market Information and Intelligence
- Principles of Communication
- Workforce Development Structure, Policies and Programs
Microcourses
CAEL is offers a series of microcourses for our members. These are professional development experiences that build capabilities for better support of adult learners.
Self-paced and designed to be completed in less than an hour, each microcourse provides a high-level overview of a specific topic of interest. The courses incorporate subject matter expert interviews that feature both industry and postsecondary education perspectives. They also offer best practices in the form of toolkits, job aids, and case studies. All microcourses are free to CAEL members.
Microcourses Open to CAEL Members
- Roadmaps to Success: Understanding and serving your adult learners
- Improving Programs with Labor Market Data
- Engaging Adult Learners as Consumers
- Attracting Adults to Your Institution
- Building Blocks for Effective CPL Programs
- Strengthening Employer Partnerships
- Designing Stackable Credentials
- Embedding Experiential Learning in Your Programs
Microcourse Open to All
- Roadmaps to Success: Understanding and Serving Your Adult Learners