2015 was an incredible year for the IAB Certification program. In 12 months, we have seen participation in the certification programs double, with now over 8,000 participants, and enrollment sky rocketing. There is no question that companies and individuals are seeing the benefit of participating.
From the IAB L&D’s most recent research in 2015, the benefits of becoming IAB Certified are obvious. To start, 93% of participants said that they saw a large increase in their knowledge base after participating in the program. Retention rates of media sales and ad ops talent increased above industry standards to become as high as 80% for teams and individuals that have participated over the past 16 months.
In addition to these great stats, throughout the year we learned that marketers and media buyers have begun asking if their vendors and partners are IAB Certified as the program continues to be recognized as the only global benchmark for comprehensive understanding of digital media.
With 2015 serving as a major milestone for the IAB Certification program, we are thrilled for what 2016 will bring. As the IAB Learning and Development team increases the global reach of the program, the team will continue to launch an exclusive benefits program for IAB Certified professionals. With our exclusive training series, online learning programs, and customized continuing education initiatives for members and partners, IAB will ensure that certification holders maintain a superior knowledge base to serve clients and teams as a trusted advisor, while expanding our industry’s world of opportunity.
