Posted by Origin Learning has been a regular at ASTD conferences, the premier conference for training and development. As we were busy with attending the conference and participating in the expo, we came across an interesting news. The event underwent a rechristening exercise. On May 6, 2014, Tony Bingham, the CEO and President of the American Society for Training & Development announced the re-branding of the society to ATD, abbreviation for ‘Association for Talent Development’.
For an association that has been committed to development of professionals for more than seventy years, it is only fitting that it recognizes the need to develop talent that adapts to the demands of a changing world.
From the early 1940s when it was founded by fifteen men, to this day, the organization has become a benchmark for training and development professionals across 127 countries in six continents. Till the society metamorphoses completely into its new version, its website will be co-branded as ASTD/ATD while communities of practice, newsletters, magazines and social media will reflect ATD branding.
The scope of the so called “training” field has broadened. The term no more recognizes fully all the contribution that senior executives make towards developing the talents of their employees and managers. With content, ideas and practices being shared across the globe, it is imperative for organizations to position themselves as a pool of highly skilled and capable talent. ASTD thus embarks a new journey by redefining is name and widening its path to develop a new host of resources for its local chapters, international partners, suppliers and everyone associated with it.
Being an agent of change by training, development and enhancing professionals across the globe, the people who lead ASTD understood the need for it to evolve to meet the dynamic requirements of a changing world and a changing business environment. Correspondingly, ASTD will now function as Association for Talent Development- an association more deeply committed to its current offerings and the trusted content and research that it has been so far relied upon for. The organization is changing to reflect the work that people do and become even more inclusive for everyone who develops others.
Reacting to the new possibilities that ATD opens up, Mr. Harikumar, CEO, Origin Learning says, “New name and new logo! Looks like it’s perfect for ASTD to transform into a new identity at a time when technology is transforming the process of learning.”