What is Continuing Professional Development
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. CPD is an essential part of any career and a requirement in many of the professions. CPD allows you to learn on your own. It is a method of managing your progress and your learning. It also allows you to record, review, and reflect on your own professional development.
The CPD has five requirements:
- Documentation is required (CPD record).
- You are completely responsible for your learning.
- Learning from experience, reflection, and reviewing are the most important aspects.
- It must help you establish your development goals and objectives.
- Both formal and informal learning can be included.
What counts towards my CPD Record?
It is essential that Assessors are constantly looking for ways to improve their skills and knowledge.
Courses
It is a great way to make sure you are doing the right thing by completing training courses. You don’t have to get a certificate from a nationally-recognised Awarding Organisation for it to count towards your CPD; as long as the training you have done will help you develop and you have evidence of completing the training, then it will do the job.
Team Meetings
As an employee, your team meetings can count towards your CPD. It is a good idea to keep a copy of the minutes and agendas of all these meetings to demonstrate what subjects were covered and that they actually count towards your CPD.
Participating in Conferences
Events and Conferences can be found almost everywhere and in virtually every industry.
Attending a CPD Event and conferences is a great idea if you aware of recent changes in your sector but need to know more. They may also feature an industry leader as a speaker. Don’t miss your chance to network with them!
Sign up for our newsletter
A newsletter subscription is an alternative way to stay informed about your sector if you are unable to attend CPD Conferences. If you are interested in receiving updates about major changes in these sectors, it is a good idea to subscribe to a well-informed newsletter.
CPD Activities
There are many CPD opportunities to choose from, and many places where you can find them. How do you choose CPD activities that will benefit you?
Keep your knowledge up-to-date
The world of work changes quickly so it’s important to be alert for new developments in your sector. It’s worth learning as soon as you can about new technologies and new terminology.
Everyone is not an expert at everything and sometimes we forget what we already know. It’s okay to cover old ground when it comes to CPD to refresh yourself.
Personal skills gaps can be filled
Identifying your own learning needs is all part of the CPD process. Identifying a gap in your skills or knowledge is actually a strength, not a weakness. CPD courses or workshops can then be taken in any area you are struggling with. This can make your job easier and maybe faster as well.
Summary
We hope you found this article helpful in understanding CPD training. It also provides guidance on how to create a learning path that suits your needs. Make sure you know what you want and choose the courses or events that will give you the best results.
