There is an increasing expectation for professionals to undertake Continuing Professional Development regardless of industry sector, career level, job role and responsibilities. Whilst the onus to complete CPD is upon each individual as part of their own career development, the various industry professional bodies, institutes and trade associations will encourage, set targets, maintain standards, and help to ensure the overall success of CPD is achieved within their respective remits.
Most professional bodies and institutes will provide individuals with Continuing Professional Development requirements, generally as a set number of CPD training hours to achieve each
year in some form of a learning environment. The majority of institutions will allow members to choose subjects of relevance to them as individuals, whilst a minority will also require their members to seek CPD training on a particular range of core subjects.
Supporting these efforts, more and more employers are taking a proactive role with CPD for their employees, as organisations are able to see the clear benefits of having a more highly skilled, training-focused, motivated and committed workforce. Over recent decades we have seen the commitment to Continuing Professional Development reach far beyond the traditional industries and institutional bodies of the UK to what is now increasingly becoming embraced across more regions of the world.
Who is CPD for?
CPD is carried out by millions of individuals across a whole range of industries and professions. Allocating time for CPD is the responsibility of each person and to identify the relevant requirements for their particular organisation or industry. It is important for all professionals to understand how their CPD training should be recorded and how much learning time is required for their role each year. The level of CPD necessary for any individual can vary between sectors.
Regulated industries tend to expect professional bodies & associations to ensure a mandatory CPD policy is implemented across the various roles and job functions working within that sector. This can be seen clearly within the traditional sectors of healthcare, medical, law, financial services, construction, engineering, veterinary and accountancy for instance, but is equally pervasive in other professions such as education, IT, communications, marketing, human resources and business.
CPD assists individuals to apply attention to areas of development and to take the necessary action in reducing any deficiencies in knowledge. An individual ought to see Continuing Professional Development as an opportunity to remain competitive with his or her peers, and a tool to differentiate themselves professionally at moments where this may be required, such as in job interviews or perhaps in tenders for new work and business acquisition. As competition increases and people become more similarly qualified, Continuing Professional Development provides a means of standing out and displaying diverse skills and knowledge. The fundamental essence of CPD is the commitment to lifelong learning.