A Guide to CAEL Membership

CAEL Membership - “Best in Class”

We are proud that CAEL has been designated a Best in Class Membership Organization for 4 years in a row. When you join CAEL, you join a community of thinkers, learners, leaders, and doers who share a common passion - to help ensure that every adult learner has a path to education and training that can lead to fulfilling work and economic prosperity.

From informative webinars to members-only content, training, events, and research on topics relevant to adult learners and workers, members promote innovative ideas and actions while expanding professional knowledge and expertise along the way. Explore our benefits below.

Whether you represent postsecondary education and training, workforce and economic development, a chamber of commerce, or civic and other industry leadership, CAEL can help you fuel meaningful transformation toward closing skill and equity gaps in our communities.

Why Should You Join CAEL?

Joining CAEL means being a part of a growing network of talented thought leaders and advocates who are dedicated to the success of the adult learner. CAEL members enjoy access to a diverse and unique network of over 4,700 members, timely and relevant resources,  research, articles, events, professional development, tools - and so much more! Join the only organization uniting an ecosystem of professionals whose focus is like yours: to advance the lives of those learners and workers who deserve an equitable opportunity for, and success in, obtaining credentials and skills that lead to well-paying, good quality jobs, increased earnings and economic mobility, and improved quality of life.

Who Should Join CAEL?

  • Anyone who serves or advocates for working adult learners
  • Anyone passionate about ensuring the success and economic mobility of working adult learners
  • Anyone who feels that all adult learners should have an equitable opportunity for, and success in, obtaining credentials and skills that lead to well-paying, good-quality jobs, increased earnings and economic mobility, and an improved quality of life.

CAEL Members Represent the Entire Work/Learn/Earn Ecosystem

  • Postsecondary Education and Training Providers
  • Workforce Development Organizations
  • Economic Development Organizations
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Employers & Industry Groups
  • Nonprofit & Mission-Aligned Organizations

And more!

What Our Members Are Saying

Member Benefits

Connections

  • Collaboration with thought leaders on the future of postsecondary education and work
  • Serving modern lifelong learners via industry and education partnerships
  • A national network with in-person and virtual events, including CAEL's annual conference
  • Access to caelCONNECT, our real-time, online member community of practice

Solutions

  • Research on trends to attract, engage, and retain adult learners and workers
  • Workforce development strategies to help communities grow and prosper
  • Self-paced professional development courses, microcourses, and other training resources
  • Members-only curated content and the opportunity to have your own content published
  • Ongoing thought leadership content
  • Member-only workshops, including Coffee with CAEL

Tools

Your CAEL membership connects you to a community building a world in which every adult has a pathway to lifelong learning and meaningful work. 

  • A free Credit Predictor tool (for our postsecondary institutional members) helps adult learners identify potential college-level prior learning they can earn at your institution, and an opportunity to purchase the Credit Predictor Pro tool to enhance this process (download brochure)
  • An annual labor market report showcases in-demand skills and job opportunities
  • Discounted professional development including instructor-led training, annual conference registration, pre-conference workshops, regional events, online self-paced learning, and more

New Member Orientations

New members can take part in regular orientation webinars, where you will learn how to quickly navigate your new benefits:

  • Your entire suite of member benefits and how to access them
  • Upcoming events and how to register
  • Exciting announcements for this year and beyond
  • How to get involved with CAEL
  • Your questions and suggestions

To participate, contact us at membershipservices@cael.org. We look forward to connecting!

Our History

CAEL was founded in 1974 on the then-revolutionary principle that adult learners should be met where they are and that their experience in getting there can create college-level learning. It may be hard to imagine today, but at the time, adult learners were on the sidelines of postsecondary education. Largely overlooked within the “first time, full time” mindset that prevailed then, they were expected to fit their schedules around what higher ed had to offer, not the other way around. Today, CAEL supports adult learner success at postsecondary institutions, employers, and government agencies across the country and beyond.

CAEL Member Rates

Click here to view member rates.

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Our Mission

CAEL engages with educators, employers, and community leaders to align learning and work so that adults achieve continuous, long-term career success.

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Our Vision

Every adult can navigate lifelong learning and career pathways that fuel economic mobility and community prosperity.

Our Impact

Contact Us

Email our membership team at membershipservices@cael.org