Each fall, 70 million students of all ages return to school to continue their education. It is also a timely reminder for safety professionals that continuous learning plays a vital role in achieving success and meeting the challenges of today’s work environment.
Have you heard the phrase, “What got you here won’t get you there”? It is an acknowledgment that yesterday’s tools and thinking won’t be enough to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. In a world of constant change, learning is no longer optional—it is essential.
Stephen Covey said it best: “Unless you are continually improving your skills, you are quickly becoming irrelevant.” Chances are, the topics you studied when you first began your career are not the same ones critical in today’s workplace.
The best EHS professionals are perpetual students, and ASSP offers a comprehensive, career-long education ecosystem. Whether you are an emerging professional or have many years of experience, there is always more to learn—and ASSP makes it easy to do so.
One of the most powerful learning tools at your disposal is the publication you are currently reading, Professional Safety, our award-winning journal and the top-rated member benefit. Each issue offers peer-reviewed content, practical strategies, case studies and techniques to help environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals identify hazards, improve work environments and build the business case for safety. Published monthly, PSJ can help you stay on top of new issues and trends so you can identify where there may be gaps in knowledge and take purposeful steps to acquire this new information.
Want to specialize in risk assessment, safety management systems, incident investigation or safety leadership? ASSP’s certificate programs offer structured learning paths that build deep expertise and elevate your professional credibility. These programs are ideal for leaders looking to master specific areas or enhance their strategic influence.
The “1% better” mindset is the philosophy that making small, intentional improvements can lead to significant results over time. You do not need to be away from work for weeks to learn something new. ASSP offers many bite-sized learning resources that can help you be 1% better, such as podcasts, webinars and case studies.
Whether you are commuting, working remotely or squeezing in study time between meetings, ASSP’s online learning options are designed for flexibility. Options include instructor-led classes, self-paced courses, virtual classrooms and on-demand webinars. You can earn CEUs while learning on your own schedule from anywhere with an internet connection.
Following our highly successful Safety 2025 conference in July, thousands of safety professionals are heading “back to school” with fresh insights and renewed energy. I encourage those who attended not to let this new knowledge go to waste. It is easy to return to our daily routines without revisiting the pages of notes we took that are filled with ideas, action plans and inspiration drawn from keynote speakers, educational sessions, hands-on vendor demonstrations and peer discussions.
Make it a habit to revisit your takeaways. Even just 5 minutes a day can help you reflect, apply what you have learned and continue growing as a safety professional.
Finally, research from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business (2017) shows that learning something new not only enhances your skills but also reduces stress and improves well-being. Whether you are learning a new leadership framework, diving into a voluntary consensus standard or preparing for a certification exam, every bit of new knowledge strengthens your ability to successfully serve as an EHS professional—and is good for your health as well.
References
University of Michigan Ross School of Business. (2017, Sept. 29). Study: Learning something new could help reduce stress. https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/news/study-learning-something-new-could-help-reduce-stress