Your go-to professional resource in 2021
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report January 2021
STLE curates useful and reliable information.
STLE Learning Pathways is an online resource library that includes extensive peer-reviewed reference materials.
Content creation has always been in STLE’s DNA. When the organization was founded more than 75 years ago, technical publications were at the forefront of member value. TLT continues that tradition today by being our most recognized and valuable benefit.
But there’s another C-word that’s relevant at a time when information overload is a daily reality and possibly even an occupational hazard. Associations that thrive in the digital age are mastering what is known as content curation—being the place where members can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.
An online resource for association executives (
www.associationsuccess.org) recently emphasized that message and expanded on ways that organizations can provide member value through content curation.
The three keys cited are:
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Be the go-to place for information that members can put to immediate use.
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Provide reliable information that helps people do their jobs better.
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Collect and curate information from outside sources.
For STLE members, the good news is that we have been curating content for more than five years in a way that hits the mark for all three of these criteria. The program is known as STLE Learning Pathways, and it is available online through
www.stle.org under the Professional Development tab.
Learning Pathways is an online resource library that includes extensive peer-reviewed reference materials filtered by relevant key subject areas (additives, base oils, hydraulics, etc.), and then further divided into basic, intermediate and advanced competency levels for better use as a self-study or reference guide. It includes webinars, short courses, articles and book chapters. Learning Pathways also includes a glossary of terms that defines everything from absolute viscosity to ZDP—as well as most other terms in between.
Let’s look at some examples of how Learning Pathways supports each of the curation criteria. As a go-to resource, it allows you to pinpoint recent TLT articles that can give an inquiring customer guidance on a wide variety of technical topics ranging from the basics of grease selection to more advanced subjects like ultrasonic monitoring of lubricant effectiveness. You can have confidence in the information because it’s been selected by a panel of independent industry experts.
For the person looking to build their professional credentials in 2021, Learning Pathways walks a certification candidate through resources that track with the knowledge needed to successfully challenge the STLE Certified Lubrication Specialist™ (CLS) or STLE Certified Oil Monitoring Analyst™ (OMA) exam. Research shows that a professional certification such as CLS or OMA makes an individual more valuable to their organization and customers, offers a competitive advantage and can lead to increased income.
Finally, Learning Pathways is not a catalog of STLE materials. The expert volunteers who created and update this resource identify and include material from third-party sources. STLE members receive exclusive benefits on pricing and convenient access to webinars, books and free chapter downloads from select books (valued at over $2,000).
The Learning Pathways initiative is an important building block for STLE’s 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes expanding STLE’s role as the go-to resource in professional development. One project already underway will enhance Learning Pathways with material relevant to the STLE Certified Metalworking Fluids Specialist™ (CMFS) exam in 2021.
More details about the Strategic Plan can be found at
www.stle.org. But the one message to remember as we begin the new year is simple: Let STLE professional development resources be the basis for your success in 2021.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.