For 25 years, the Lighting Controls Association, a council of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), has educated the building industry about lighting control technology and application, notably through its Education Express courses. The organization is proud to announce that starting May 1, 2025, the Education Express curriculum will be incorporated into a new learning management system, NEMA Academy.
The new platform will feature an improved website, a comprehensive learning platform, and access to a broad and growing curriculum covering lighting controls in addition to other topics, from lighting to safety to emergency preparedness.
Education Express
Over the past quarter-century, lighting control technology has evolved rapidly alongside best practices and increasingly stringent commercial building energy codes. This substantially raised demand for education addressing the design, selection, installation, and commissioning of lighting control solutions. To support this need, the Lighting Controls Association, a council of NEMA, launched Education Express in 2006.
Starting with a handful of courses, Education Express now offers more than 30 learning modules. Since its launch, nearly 50,000 students have completed more than 475,000 learning modules and 340,000 post-course assessments for education credit.
Learning modules are registered with or recognized by the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP points), National Lighting Contractors Association of America (NLCAA points), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA Learning Units/HSW hours). They may be used to renew the National Council for Qualifications for Lighting Professions’ (NCQLP) Lighting Certified (LC) certification. Education Express is also the basis for the interNational Association of Lighting Management Companies (NALMCO) Certified Lighting Controls Professional (CLCP) certification.
The DesignLights Consortium recognizes Education Express as a source for advancing knowledge of networked lighting control technology and application. The State of California recognizes the Lighting Controls Association as a continuing education provider.
NEMA Academy
On May 1, 2025, NEMA will launch NEMA Academy, an exciting new comprehensive and robust workforce development initiative.
“NEMA initiated the development of NEMA Academy to address a critical need in our industry: accessible, high-quality, and consistent training that supports both current professionals and the next generation of the workforce,” said Alexa Burr, VP, Strategic Growth & Market Development, NEMA. “Workforce development is a top priority for our members and the broader electroindustry, and NEMA Academy positions us as a central hub for advancing industry knowledge, safety, and professional growth.”
Same Education Express content: NEMA Academy will launch with all Education Express content. All Education Express user accounts will be transferred to NEMA Academy, and students completing learning modules from 2022 to the present will be able to download their education certificates from the NEMA Academy platform. Students wishing to preserve certificates prior to 2022 should download them from the current Education Express website by April 14, 2025.
Soon after the transition, look for updates to the Lighting Controls Association’s Daylight-Responsive Lighting Controls, Wireless Lighting Controls, and Lighting Controls for Existing Buildings courses at NEMA Academy.
Same accreditation: NEMA Academy courses will be recognized or accredited by the same third-party institutions, ensuring that students can continue to receive credit for courses previously offered through Education Express.
Additional content: NEMA plans to build on the Education Express content by developing original training content while serving as a training aggregator.
Initially, NEMA Academy will provide curated access to education resources from industry partners including the Illuminating Engineering Society, Underwriters Laboratories, the National Electrical Contractors Association, and the National Association of Electrical Distributors. In parallel, NEMA is developing original content focused on the organization’s standards and timely issues affecting the electrical industry such as the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act and its Make It American™ program.
“By the end of 2025, we envision a robust and searchable library of both internal and partner-developed courses, microlearning modules, and live/on-demand webinars that span all of NEMA’s sectors,” Burr said. “Over the longer term, NEMA Academy will evolve into a strategic workforce development engine, offering certification pathways, continuing education credits, and personalized learning experiences that help professionals at every career stage grow their skills and stay ahead of industry trends.”
Improved user experience: NEMA Academy is built on the LearnUpon learning management system, which will offer a more robust, engaging, and beneficial experience for students.
Intuitive and easy to navigate, NEMA Academy allows students to tailor content to their interests and needs. Interactive features including gamification, progress tracking, and personalized course recommendations will be included. Students will be able to earn badges or certificates as they complete courses. And in the future, NEMA Academy is aiming to support live training sessions.
Navigating the transition
All Education Express students have received an email from LearnUpon with instructions on how to set up a new NEMA Academy account, including a username and temporary password.
As mentioned, all education certificates earned since January 1, 2022, will be transferred to the new system. Students wishing to retain certificates prior to that date are encouraged to download them as soon as possible. Students may wish to download any certificates earned after 2021 if these will be needed during the transition to NEMA Academy.
On April 15, 2025, Education Express will go offline and will be inaccessible as the transition team completes its work. On May 1, students can visit NEMA Academy at www.NEMAAcademy.org to continue their learning experience.
Students who have questions or need assistance can contact the Lighting Controls Association’s Help Desk at help.lightingcontrols@gmail.com.
More content, improved experience
“NEMA Academy will serve as a catalyst for upskilling the electrical industry workforce by providing easy access to high-quality, relevant, and forward-looking training,” Burr concluded. “By offering new and emerging topics from advanced technologies and safety standards to policy developments, the platform will empower professionals to stay current and competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.”
Get ready for more comprehensive education spanning lighting, lighting controls, and many other topics on a fully featured, modern learning platform. On May 1, 2025, check out the new NEMA Academy at www.NEMAAcademy.org.
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