Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

What is CPD and why is it valuable?

CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is a way of recording formal career progression by documenting any new skills or practices that are earned over the course of employment which you can then put into a portfolio to prove how highly skilled you are.

To ensure any training you undertake is of the highest quality possible, CPD training should always be endorsed by a professional accreditation body, such as the CPD Standards Office. CPD can be self-driven or it can be undertaken through a company initiative such as a policy based on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

A professional CPD scheme is extremely valuable as it verifies the accomplishments in your career. Most importantly, it boosts morale and confidence alongside encouraging your continued learning and progression while in employment, never allowing you to develop a comfort zone that eventually becomes repetitive and boring. For a business there is a very tangible benefit to CPD training.

Any company that proactively invests in their workforce and encourages additional learning will see a rise in motivation and increase in productivity in the workplace.

Recording CPD

Most businesses that encourage or require employees to undertake CPD training will require you to log your CPD yearly. In some industries where you’re required to maintain a professional qualification, such as chartered surveyors or chartered accountants for example, there will be a set amount of CPD points you must achieve each year along with formal advice and guidance on how to achieve this.

Before you start any training, the learning provider will confirm the number of points you will gain from your training programme. As a general rule one CPD point is one full hour of teaching or learning. This can vary by profession so be sure to check with your the learning provider as part of your research.

Pitman Training are accredited by the CPD Standards Office