CPD otherwise known as, Continuing Professional Development is the term best used to describe learning activities of professionals who engage in to develop and enhance their abilities; They are often supported with CPD courses.
This enables learning to become conscious and proactive, rather than passive and reactive, and developing skills and knowledge through, interactive, participation-based, or independent learning.
The methodology to conducting structured CPD learning comes in a variety of methods, such as;
- Conferences
- Seminars
- Best Practices Techniques
- Idea sharing
- Workshops
- Events
They are all focused for individuals to improve and have an effective personal development, to build on technical and non-technical skills.
Many structured CPD activities involve professionals taking exams, assessments linked to modules of their career path. These can be useful for measuring a learner’s CPD progress, which can also be tracked with attendance records, test results, and written materials as an example.
There are many benefits to CPD, and they support learners to gain the expertise and understanding required to approach professional situations from various angles, especially those online at the moment due to the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the social distancing restrictions.
They can also;
- Reduce financial impacts on either the professional or the company encouraging and providing the training.
A day out of the office can be costly, or time-consuming, energy that could be directed to increase your company profit and maintain client and customer relationships.
Online CPD, requires no conference rooms, travel, or direct interaction.
Do not worry though, the quality of training experienced will not be reduced, and the engagement will be the same as in person, at conferences, seminars, events, and workshops.
A lot of CPD training has now been developed to provide engaging to the viewers and they have access to pre-recorded footage, in high definition, with a lecturer/ trainer speaking directly to the camera with their slides on the screen. This really makes it feel as though you are there in the room.
With the benefit of live webinars, and the use of multiscreen now, this also improves the experience and interactive learning, where questions can be asked, views discussed and even team building exercises.
There are also informal CPD methods, that are unstructured, and are a self-directed learning. This refers to any development activities that are guided by the learners, which are often are done without following a curriculum.
These methods normally consist of:
- Studying online, reading of offline publications written by industry experts.
- General reading of articles and case studies.
- Listening to podcasts
- Following social media platforms, for specific industries on news feeds.
- Completing self-motivated articles and essays for development
Why Is CPD Training important?
The majority of professional roles have set requirements for CPD ongoing logs, like Solicitors, HR professionals, and Drs as an example.
It is necessary for the individuals to provide proof they are up to date and able to adhere to the assessment’s standards.
CPD, helps also go beyond this, it helps people retain a consistent set of high quality, and up to date skills and knowledge to support their professional career.
This puts learners with the attributes as favourable candidates, and demonstrates their ability to work to impressive standards, which will and does excel their careers.
The 7 main benefits of CPD personally:
- Closes the knowledge gaps, by refining personal skills and intellect.
- Skills are kept up to date, and relevant in today’s fast-moving world, with practical qualifications.
- It also provides the ability to learn quicker as you become acquainted with the process and will become a stronger independent learner with regular learning.
- Shows dedication to self-improvement and demonstrates ambition, making the learners prospective to other employers and clients.
- Show cases the learner’s professionalism through their achievements and growth on their CVs and Cover letters.
- Completing CPD, gives the learner a reduction in uncertainty or worries about change. Providing a future plan of aspirations and ability to readily adapt.
- While some structured CPD activities can benefit learners with engaging in further research and study, the self-directed CPD requires consciously engage in learning activities to follow their own plan.
The main 7 benefits of CPD for a business:
- Enhances the companies to positively react and move with the current and forth coming times.
- Enables strong benchmarks for reviews and appraisals.
- Strengthens employee retention as the employees feel valued and loyal to their company for supporting them and providing investment in them.
- Provides a healthy working culture.
- Heightens a business reputation, among future employees, customers, and clients.
- Increases efficiency and productivity with highly skilled and motivated employees.
- Implements a high consistently of high standards throughout a company.
To be able to achieve the business benefits, companies need to always support all employee’s continuous commitment to personal development and allow equal access to learning opportunities.
The most important and crucial point to achieve any of these benefits is to ensure that as a leaner or a supportive employer is to ensure reflection is taken on the CPD learning. This is the ultimate important stage of the CPD progress, as it enables the learner to determine what worked and where their strengths are, and how they can plan and improve future CPD activities.
Self-reflection is the most powerful tool used by many personally and when coaching others to truly open to real growth and orientate their future goals.
The overall benefits for business and the learner are that it refines personal skills, and increases intellect, efficiency and is a key part of investing in people internally and externally within your employees and consumers.
Without investing in personal and employee CPD, moving forward, implementing change and creating loyalty will be near on impossible.
Do you need help supporting with CPD Training Look no further – Wurkplace is here to help! For more information email info@wurkplace.co.uk or call 0330 400 5490.
An experienced Director who controls and oversee all business operations, people and ventures. Responsible for the overall success of the business.
As a leader, he is able to steer a company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals. Additionally, he has strong crisis management skills to “save” companies in times of need.