EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE Get Educated in 2021 ucation. From classes and seminars to certification, our members look to us to help them move forward in their busi- nesses and careers. Over the past year, our members’ edu- E cational needs have been somewhat dif- ferent. As the whole world shiſted opera- tions to online-only as much as possible, so did we. When it became clear we would be unable to hold our 2020 conventions and classes at ALOA headquarters as usu- al, ALOA switched gears. We took inven- tory of our class offerings and assessed how to move forward. The result was in- novation that will have a lasting impact on ALOA Education well into the future. Education Improvements Before the pandemic began, ALOA and SAVTA were focusing on refreshing class content and updating the PRP. We added new classes at the conventions, and PRP candidates started being able to take certain tests online from their homes or offices. As COVID-19 ravaged the world and in-person events were canceled, we knew we had to do even more to reach members where they needed us: remotely! Immediately, ALOA jumped into action, developing webinars where industry 6 KEYNOTES FEBRUARY 2021 very time we survey our members or talk to them informally, by far their greatest request and need from us is ed- professionals could learn new skills and earn CEUs for licensing. Since last summer, we’ve often held multiple sessions per week at different times so we can reach as many interested attendees as possible. We’ve had topics ranging from codes and doors to mas- ter keying and automotive work. The re- sponse has been tremendous, and we are happy to be able to offer this service. If you have suggestions for webinar topics, please contact [email protected]. We have also started a podcast, Lock- smith Talk With ALOA, that members can listen to free of charge. Hosted by Wil- liam M. Lynk, CML, CPS, CMIL, ICML, M.Ed., episodes feature guests who dis- cuss everything from employee relations and legal issues to master keying and GSA work. We’ve already released sev- eral episodes, so go listen if you haven’t already. You can easily find the podcast by searching for “Locksmith Talk With ALOA” on common podcast platforms such as Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts and more. You can also find a link to it on the ALOA Education calendar. Setting Your Goals for 2021 Just like last year, this year is bound to be a bit different for many people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still get education! Set some goals for the year. Do you want to learn a new skill? Get your business in better financial shape? No matter what your goal is for edu- cation, ALOA can help. As of press time, we will be holding our SAFETECH and ALOA conventions, with extra steps and precautions to ensure that they are safe learning environments for attendees and staff. SAFETECH registration is open, so assess what classes you’d like to take to learn new skills or improve your existing ones. If you don’t ever seem to have time for business classes at the ALOA Conven- tion, attending SAFETECH is a great way to work those in! We will soon have more informa- tion on classes for the ALOA Conven- tion, so keep an eye out. For now, mark your calendars for July 25-31 and plan to be in Orlando for some education and networking! No matter what your goals are for 2021, I wish you well in your pursuit of them. Thank you again for being a part of ALOA, and have a great year of learning! Mary A. May Executive Director [email protected] WWW.ALOA.ORG
