Continuing Education Units

A Paper by Ron Slee and Steve Johnson

What are Continuing Education Units (CEU)? Pivotal Professional Development Role.

In 1968, a group of individuals in the United States recognized that no standard means existed to quantify continuing education and training, one of the fastest growing segments of education in the workplace.

Adult learners participating in seminars, conferences, workshops, short courses, and other programs found it difficult to accumulate, update and transfer CE/T records. This was of particular concern to those in occupational fields that required such educational experiences to maintain membership, certification, licensing, or other recognition of professional achievement.

A task force formed to identify a uniform, nationally accepted unit of measurement that could be used to quantify CE/T activities. This unit, the continuing education unit (CEU), serves the same purpose for CE/T programs as the credit hour does for higher education coursework.

Nearly 90 million workers in the U.S. lack the skills needed to thrive in the future workforce. That’s not too surprising when we consider that among adults (25+) in 2022, 84 million had a high school diploma or less, 33 million had completed some college, and 77 million had college degrees. Further, 80 percent of workers say their college education was not relevant to their field(CAEL 2025).

For such workers, closing skills gaps means finally crossing the divide between their low-wage job to more rewarding work. And thousands of employers involved in WorkForce Development show that opportunities for career advancement come along with further skill development and credentials that increase earnings. That’s why adult learners and workers expect education and training to position them for advancement along rewarding career pathways. From apprenticeships to advanced degrees, the choices can be overwhelming. But the success of educators, employers, and entire communities depends on empowering adult learners to make the right choices. 

It seems clear to many that adult learners and workers can only realize their potential within a well-aligned industry, education, and workforce ecosystem. We help build organizational partnerships that center adult learners and workers in initiatives that span the continuum from education to employment. These include workforce and economic developers; chambers of commerce, postsecondary educators; employers and industry groups; and foundations and other mission-aligned organizations. If you are in one of these groups, we can help you meet adult learners and workers where they are and benefit the ecosystem and help achieve your goals by partnering on pathways that support equitable economic mobility and helping adult learners and workers navigate them.

CEUs and College Credit

Most colleges and universities will not directly accept Continuing Education Units for college or graduate credit. However, those who have the ability to assess prior CE/T learning activities as part of an overall portfolio of work experience, credentials and certifications may consider the CEU.

For more information about how CEUs can be translated into college credit, visit:

  • The Council on Adult and Experiential Learning.
  • The American College Advisory Service. 

A Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a standard attributed to continuing education programs to provide professional development across industries. One standard CEU entails ten hours engaged in an education program.

Many fields require ongoing education or training, and requirements vary between countries, states, and licensing boards. The following professions typically require CEUs:

  • Accountants
  • Administrators
  • Architects
  • Cosmetologists
  • Counselors
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Engineers
  • Educators
  • Financial managers
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Insurance professionals
  • Interior designers
  • Lawyers
  • Paralegals
  • Project managers
  • Psychologists
  • Real estate agents
  • Safety personnel
  • Social workers
  • Tax preparers

However, there are also CEUs through a traditional education facility. Those education facilities are vocational and community colleges, a technical or vocational school, and a public or private university. This also requires ten hours for a CEU which can earn one academic credit that can go on the school transcript.

For example – Wharton Online accredited for Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?

Wharton Online has been accredited for CEUs by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) since November 1st, 2018. All of Wharton Online’s courses are accredited for CEUs.

What is the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)?

The IACET is an organization that provides a standardized structure for development and education for the global workforce. This organization is responsible for the initial development of CEUs, and the establishment of the ANSI/IACET Standard of Continuing Education and Training.

Learning Without Scars is accredited by IACET as well. We are the only ones in our industries that offer accredited CEUs which earn Academic Credits at the school categories listed above.

However, we also offer Workforce Development classes that earn Industry Certification. We offer Electrical Assessments and Classes as well as Flat-Bed Assessments and Classes. We are currently working on expanding this to include Supply Chain, Automotive, Material Handling, Finance, Banking, Human Resources, Continuing Education, and Cybersecurity.

The Internet is transforming education by changing the way students learn, and teachers teach. In public and private education:

  1. Online learning: The Internet has made online learning accessible to everyone. Students can now attend classes and complete assignments from anywhere, anytime.
  2. Personalized learning: With the Internet, students have access to a wide range of resources that allow for personalized learning experiences.
  3. Collaboration: The Internet enables students and teachers to collaborate in real-time from different locations, making it easier for students to work together on projects and assignments.
  4. Access to information: The Internet provides students with instant access to a vast amount of information, making it easier for them to research and learn about various topics.
  5. Improved communication: The Internet has made communication between teachers and students, as well as between schools, much easier and more efficient.

Overall, the Internet has greatly improved the education experience for students and teachers alike, providing them with new tools and resources to enhance their learning and teaching experiences.

How does Learning Without Scars work?

Learning Without Scars is a company that aims to improve the education system by making learning a positive and enjoyable experience for students. The company uses a variety of methods to achieve this goal, including:

  1. Game-based learning: Learning Without Scars incorporates elements of gaming into the learning process to make it more engaging and enjoyable for students.
  2. Experiential learning: The company encourages students to learn through hands-on experiences and real-life scenarios, as opposed to just reading from textbooks.
  3. Positive reinforcement: Learning Without Scars emphasizes the importance of positive reinforcement and reward-based learning to help students build confidence and motivation.
  4. Emotional support: The company provides emotional support to students, helping them develop healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety.
  5. Interdisciplinary approach: Learning Without Scars takes an interdisciplinary approach to education, incorporating elements of psychology, neuroscience, and other relevant fields to help students learn in the most effective way possible.
  6. Leading Edge Technology: Learning Without Scars uses leading edge technology and software. We use Artificial Intelligence to create Avatars and Audio Tracks and Subtitles. Now this includes a font for Dyslexia. 

The overall goal of Learning Without Scars is to help students develop a love of learning and a positive attitude towards education that will stay with them throughout their lives.

The Time is Now.

PS If there are any questions or comments I would love to hear from you at ro*@******************rs.org

 

Lessons from the Beaverkill

Back this week with his Muddy Boots series, guest writer David Griffith brings issue 6 with “Lessons from the Beaverkill.”

I have been a fly fisherman for most of my life. I learned to fish in Maine on the rivers that flow north from Moosehead Lake, including the Allagash and the associated lakes and feeder streams. My first instructor was a traditionalist who tied his own flies in the field at night based on the hatches occurring. I learned to fish both dry and nymphs, the different rods and line combinations, casting strategy, and most importantly, how to read a stream and think like a fish.

Years passed, including school, employment, marriage, kids, moves, grandkids, and a few retirements. Opportunities to get on the stream took a back seat to other priorities. Then, a good friend asked me to join him for a weekend at his club on the  Beaverkill.

There, on a cold May morning, with the sun pushing the morning fog, I remembered what had stirred my love of fishing in the first place that only with age could I now appreciate. My friend Pierce commented about hatches, pools, and knots, then imparted some great advice: “Dave, the most important part of fishing is remembering that fishing is not about the fish.”

Fishing done well requires you to focus and use your rod, line, tippet, and fly as an extension of your cast. You stand waist-deep in a stream, watching your steps and being entirely in the moment. You are alone in the outdoors, stream, sky, woods, and weather, and you are at peace with the work at hand.

I have found that such time spent on the river restores the soul. Fish caught and released or not, it matters not. We need to find the time to restore, think, reflect, and just be quiet. It does not have to be fishing; for me, it is, but we need our restoration time. The camp is off the grid, with no phone, wireless, or TV. The stream and other like-minded individuals are happy to share a meal, have a conversation, and appreciate the moment. I have learned that the brain still works on the stream, just in the background. Often, on the ride home, a complicated problem solution will emerge. The issue needs step away time to solve.

To be clear, catching and releasing adds to the experience. I joined the club, and it is one of my favorite places—places we all need.

Where is your place? And that is the lesson of the Beaverkill.

Did you enjoy this blog? Read more great blog posts here.

The Dog Fence…A Muddy Boots Blog

Guest writer David Griffith returns with another blog post from his Muddy Boots series: The Dog Fence.

We have had three dogs since moving to New Hope in 1993: Duncan, Piper, and our current Clover. We installed a Dog Fence with Duncan to allow him to roam the property without a leash, chase the deer and squirrels on an even footing, and give us peace of mind when outside. 

It is remarkable how well they work once the dog is trained. A beep goes off a few feet from the wire that marks the perimeter, and the dog stops, not wanting to have the mild reminder from the collar shock. 

It works well unless it is cut. Over the 30 years I must have spliced the wire 75 times. Sometimes, a lawn mower would catch the ground, sometimes edging the plant beds, sometimes a tree roots, to the point where a rainstorm could short the wire, sending a beeping signal to the panel. The challenge is finding the break first, repair, and test. The process sometimes would take 20 minutes, sometimes 20 hours.

Last week was one of the 20-hour sessions, and I had had enough. I called Invisible Fence, and we scheduled to replace the old wire field with a new one. Today, it is getting installed. OK, so where am I going with this?

Sometimes, we repair a broken system; while it works, it is still broken. Any rational person would have replaced the fence years ago. We hang on to our old way more than we like to admit. As I step away from the Episcopal Community Service ( ECS) and look at the systems designed to address poverty throughout the City of Philadelphia, I see many spliced wires and systems that break or don’t really change lives or, worse still, put people at risk.

This is why ECS took on a brain science-based coaching methodology to address long-term intergenerational poverty, which we call MindSet, and social and emotional learning with our Out of School Time ( OST) children. To do the best job of helping people gain economic mobility, you need to fix broken systems, and sometimes that is a replacement. We continue to use a broken system for many built-in reasons, but none warrant continuation if they don’t drive long-term change. 

I am proud of ECS and our partners who have decided to take on the heavy lift and drive transformation rather than keep repairing the broken fences. We work through direct programs and services and advocate for public policy to change where it impacts people adversely. 

Sometimes, you have to say “enough” and fix the fence. 

Did you enjoy this blog? Read more great blog posts here.

Do You Know What Your Customers Are Purchasing from You?

Guest writer Debbie Frakes encourages readers to keep track of customer activity in order to have a clear picture of your business in “Do You Know What Your Customers Are Purchasing From You?

To better understand your business and your customers, you have to take a close look at what they are buying from you the most, if you offer multiple products or services. By analyzing the types of purchases your customers make, you can determine what sells the best, how often it sells, and which branches or departments move more or less of specific items. Armed with that information, you will be able to make more informed decisions about your business strategy, optimize resource allocation, and maximize your profitability.

Why tracking types of purchases matters

As an equipment dealer, your success depends on connecting customers with the products and services they need. Identifying purchasing patterns helps you pinpoint what matters most to your audience. Using these insights, you can fine tune your marketing and advertising strategies to focus on high value products—boosting both your marketing ROI and your customers’ satisfaction. Monitoring types of purchases also prevents wasted spend on promoting lower demand items. Instead, you can invest in the areas that generate the greatest return for your company. 

Understand your trigger products 

Triggers are the products and services that cause customers to come into the store or dealer in the first place. At the grocery store, they are products like bread, eggs, and milk. At equipment dealers, they are things like emergency repairs, seasonal inspections, or specific types of machine breakdowns that lead to a replacement rental. It’s the type of goods or services that bring the customer through the door. 

By tracking and analyzing customer purchases, you will start to see what your specific trigger products are. Once you recognize them, you can highlight those items in your marketing and advertising materials. That way, when a customer requires something like a seasonal inspection, they’ll think of you and schedule with you, then potentially purchase more products and services as a result. 

Optimize your resources for maximum impact

Your marketing, sales, and financial resources are limited, so they should be used as strategically as possible. Regularly reviewing key business metrics, like the types of purchases that are most common, helps you determine which products to promote, so you feature them in email campaigns, highlight them on your website, and focus on them for any paid advertising. Beyond marketing, these insights also shape decisions on inventory and expansion. Knowing which products sell best allows you to introduce complementary offerings that align with customer demand.

Understanding the types of purchases that are most popular with your customers also helps you understand how well branches are performing and which ones are selling more or less of a specific product or service. If something is selling great at every branch but one, then there is probably an issue specific to that branch that you can address and solve, so their revenues will increase accordingly. 

Expand customer awareness with strategic upselling

Once you know your customers’ purchasing behaviors, you can introduce them to additional products they may not have considered. They might visit your website or open an email for one item, but with the right strategy, they’ll discover more of what your dealership has to offer. Use your most popular products to drive engagement and increase overall sales.

Our partner, Zintoro, provides equipment dealers with comprehensive business analytics reporting, helping them track key business metrics like types of purchases, purchase frequency, customer retention, and more.

Schedule a Zintoro demo today to uncover valuable insights and start making data driven decisions!

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