As most of the training and development profession is aware, ASTD announced its new name at the 2014 ASTD International Conference & Exposition in Washington, D.C. two weeks ago. Now the Association for Talent Development (ATD), we are forging ahead with a new brand for workplace learning.

To learn more about this change and better understand its implications for the industry as a whole and the association in particular, check out www.astdnews.org. To hear the latest on the rebranding from ATD’s President and CEO Tony Bingham, read his latest update.

So what does this mean for the Human Capital Community?

First, it means that the breadth of content and resources you have been receiving is finally, “officially” recognized. Human Capital includes topics such as coaching and mentoring, integrated talent management, human performance improvement, managing the learning function, leadership development, and organization learning and change. All of these interest areas are covered by the umbrella of “talent development.” As human capital practitioners, no one knows better than you that the learning profession today is about so much more than training alone. For many of you, the reason you joined this niche community was to receive information and tools beyond the scope of traditional training. Years ago the association recognized this shift in the profession, and has been supplying customized content as a result. Now we are aligning our name and brand to better meet the growing needs of this dynamic profession.

Second, this change means ATD will continue to develop itself as a leader in talent development. To us, talent development signifies the profession’s commitment to build employee skills and capabilities for the goals of individual engagement and organization performance. Such development encompasses traditional training as well as emerging learning methods such as neuroscience principles, informal approaches such as mentoring, and new technologies such as mobile. We have only scratched the surface of how the profession will adapt with today’s global, technological, and collaborative workplace to meet the learning needs of individuals and the business goals of organizations. No matter what the profession looks like in one year or ten, ATD is committed to providing you with the tools and resources you need to develop the talent in your sphere of influence.

Finally, ATD has not abandoned its core commitment to training as a valuable and necessary learning approach. We will continue to serve professionals whose primary (and secondary) role is to design and deliver training. As we’ve done since our founding in 1943, the Association for Talent Development will partner with you to create a world that works better.

If you have any questions or comments about this change, please feel free to share in the comment section below, or to contact me at [email protected].