Education and CPD

CPD Explained

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a learning process aimed to target the needs of the individual for his/her continuous improvement. CPD is widely established in industry and other professional Institutions. It is the means by which the life-long learning process is recorded for the benefit of the individual and employer. The benefit of CPD is the development of personal qualities and the broadening of knowledge and skill.

Requirements

It is your responsibility to ensure and record your personal development requirements and achievements. The Institute has currently set a minimum requirement for CPD at 18 hours (3 days) per year. Your records of CPD may be called on at anytime by the Council and are necessary for retention of Full Member status or any future membership upgrade.

Development Activities

CPD may be achieved by attending or undertaking structured activities such as:

• Courses, seminars, conferences, workshops and technical meetings organised by the Institute, Universities, other professional and learned society bodies or course providers;
• Service on technical panels;
• Distance learning courses and other supervised study packages;
• Conferences, committees and working parties in a managerial capacity;
• Technical authorship, preparation of lecture material or presentation of a ‘fresh’ paper for an organised event or evening meeting;
• Private studies of a structured nature.

Development activities may also be unstructured, such as:

• On the job research;
• Reading of books, journals and professional magazines and periodicals and reporting for the benefit of others on research texts or new publications;
• Experience of new and extended technologies, writing précis reports on applied techniques;
• Research and post-qualification studies;

Members who are in countries or locations where structured CPD opportunities appear to be difficult to access should take advantage of the range of unstructured CPD activities as outlined above which will assist them in their development.

You should try and achieve CPD in constituent blocks of not less than three hours (1/2 day). Presentations or activities where the duration is less than this could be "enhanced" by writing a 500 word précis report. The report should demonstrate what you have learnt rather than just what you have done. Reports are encouraged anyway for all activities logged.

Assessing Achievement

By reflecting on your performance during or after the above activities, you can assess yourself in terms of new and improved levels of competence. If you are attending a repeat or refresher type activity, you may well consider that the CPD value is less than the original course value. As a guide, Institute run events may carry a recommended CPD value. However it is for you to decide the actual merit of the activity and its value to your professional development.

You can download the blank CPD form and other
documents by clicking the 'Forms' link on the left.