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Whether your constituency is made up of licensees, certificants, learners, or practitioners, keeping them engaged is essential to a successful credentialing program. How can LearningBuilder help you implement your communications strategies? “I didn’t forget, you just didn’t remind me!” Have you heard that comment from a certificant who missed a key deadline? Life can get hectic, and it’s important to keep in constant contact regarding deadlines or application status. LearningBuilder’s automated communications features allow you to periodically remind practitioners via email or text message (coming in 2020). Harness these tools communicate key dates to candidates who have not yet completed the application process and certificants who need to recertify. By engaging your community with reminders and next steps applicants, candidates, and certificants always know where they stand in their credentialing journey. Candidates feeling confident and comfortable with deadlines and standing is key to increasing renewal rates. Restructure long application cycle times into shorter milestones. Reward practitioners who stay active. Consider allowing different pathways to recertification that encourage ongoing engagement throughout the certification cycle, as opposed to cramming just before the recertification date to maintain the credential. It is not uncommon for organizations to have a 3 year, 5 year, or 8 year recertification cycle. Much can happen in the certificants world in such an extended timeframe. Consider breaking these extended timeframes into smaller segments using LearningBuilder’s ability to add milestones within the cycle. You can even reward practitioners who meet the milestone deadline with less to do over all and offer those who don’t meet the milestone with a “catch up” requirement. It can even improve Board cashflow with incremental recertification fees due at the milestone. Alternatives to the high stakes recertification exam There are several alternatives to a high-stakes recertification exam that Heuristics has initiated for boards using LearningBuilder. Among the most distinctive have been longitudinal assessments (as piloted and promoted by the American Board of Medical Specialties), and the Journal Article Review Recertification Pathway (JARRP – as offered by the American Board of Obesity Medicine). Longitudinal assessments are lightweight, real-time remote assessments used as an alternative to high stakes recertification exams. Using LearningBuilder’s timed assessment feature, boards offer candidates the opportunity to complete shorter, lower-stakes exams on their own time while maintaining the same rigor and content coverage as an in-person exam. These can even be completed on mobile devices, offering exceptional flexibility to your constituents. The American Board of Obesity Medicine also offers an alternative recertification pathway that focuses on engaging their constituents. Certificants can choose to participate in the Journal Article Review Recertification Pathway, for which they read at least twelve pre-selected journal articles every two years. Upon completion, candidates complete a short assessment on the journal article and must answer at least 75% of the questions correctly. After ten years and sixty total journal articles read, the certificant is exempt from the high-stakes recertification exam. Increasing the frequency of engagement with your practitioners doesn’t have to be a one-way street. Providing convenient alternative pathways can reduce stress while naturally increasing engagement – a win for both parties. How we help you engage employers Many certifications are required or supported by the employers of the certificant. LearningBuilder makes it easy for you to engage your profession’s employers through the employer portal. Using the employer portal, employers can sponsor applications, verify work experience, and pay certification / recertification fees. Using the employer portal, your organization can offer special employer discount programs, including vouchers. Technology enabled Employer programs are an important way for organizations to promote the value of the credential to a key stakeholder group while making it easier for them to certify their staff. Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing. Higher levels of engagement lead to increased loyalty. If you are in an industry such as nursing, your workforce has plenty of options for certification. What do you offer that similar boards may be lacking? Provide an excellent candidate experience by granting your constituents the guidance and communication that they deserve. In return, your certificants will demonstrate your credential’s high standards in the workplace and serve as powerful evangelists for your organization. LearningBuilder is a state-of-the-art credentialing management software that can help you with automated communications and much more.