Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing process of professional learning and development of skills undertaken by a professional throughout their career. CPD may be undertaken in a number of ways and is not restricted to attendance at classroom sessions.
Any activity that allows you to reflect on what you’ve learned or experienced, and then apply that knowledge or experience to your practice, is CPD. You are encouraged to maintain knowledge in areas relevant to your work, as well as increase your awareness of wider legislative and regulatory factors.
A balanced programme of CPD will include a wide range of formal and informal activities, both personal and professional. You set your own CPD priorities at the beginning of the year, to focus your development.
The following provides some examples of different types and methods of professional development activity:
- Home-based learning – private study, structured reading on particular themes or topics. Use of audio, video or multi-media resources and other distance-learning material
- Action-based learning – a systematic, structured approach to the solving of problems in the workplace
- Preparation of material – for courses, technical meetings or publication in the technical press
- Research – supervised research
- Work based development – background reading, research or preparation required to tackle a new area of work, visiting landscape projects, supporting colleagues or mentoring students. IT skills development
- LI activities – of a technical or professional nature
- Events – conferences, seminars, workshops or other technical and professional events and meetings including in-house training. Can include soft skills as well as technical skills e.g. presenting, managing a team
- Study – courses leading to a qualification, short academic courses, open or distance learning, individual study, attending lectures and seminars. Delivering lectures and tutorials
