Defining CPD

​You may think that as soon as you’ve landed your dream role and you’re comfortably in the groove that you won’t need to worry about anything else, and you can sit back and relax. However, you may want to think again, as you could end up lagging behind your colleagues who might have CPD experience.

CPD, or continuing professional development, essentially ensures that you continue to be proficient and competent in your profession whilst also furnishing you with essential skills that could help to progress your career. It will continue and develop throughout your career. Whether you’re looking to succeed as a newly qualified skills coach, assessor or tutor, CPD can make you shine.

What is continued professional development?

Continued professional development, or CPD for short, is the term used to describe the supplementary learning that professionals undertake. Usually, CPD helps to augment and enhance abilities in the workplace. However, it encompasses much more than simply learning.

Rather than being passive and reactive, CPD makes learning conscious and proactive, enhancing personal skills for application in the workplace. In addition, there are a variety of different methodologies involved, such as workshops, conferences, reading about your area of expertise, e-learning / online courses, professional bodies events and even networking.

By engaging in CPD, you’ll ensure that neither your academic nor your practical qualifications will become obsolete. CPD offers the opportunity for up-skilling regardless of where you are in your career, your age, or even your level of education.

Not only does CPD help to enhance your skill set, but it also enables you to adapt to changes in the work environment. In an ever-adapting world, engaging in CPD can help you prepare for changes within the sector you serve, whilst also showing your commitment to self-development and professionalism.

Why does CPD exist?

Albert Einstein once said, “education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think”. This quote is certainly true when it comes to the existence of CPD. Ensuring that your skills and abilities are enhanced and expanded upon beyond formal education will permit proficiency and efficiency within your skillset.

For example, if you focus on these skills over a 12-month period, you will end up seeing a recognisable improvement in your skill set and proficiency. So, by focusing on the new sector trends or requirements you can ensure your career progression is secure.