Why cpd is essential

With employers facing huge losses due to skills gaps, by engaging in professional development, you can quickly and easily build the skill sets required by your organisation. And by continuing your professional development, you continue to learn and develop, keeping your skills and knowledge up to date.

The world of work is constantly changing. Especially in the last 18 months, with the events of , working from home has become the norm, and various pieces of software and technology have had to be embraced to adjust to this unprecedented change.

Keeping up to date with trends has never been more important, and by failing to do so, your skills could become outdated. Owing to your increased knowledge, you can become much more effective in the workplace, which will open doors to career progression. Plus, you can use your increased knowledge to demonstrate your leadership skills by sharing your knowledge with others. Refreshing your knowledge and understanding of certain skill-specific topics can make you stand out from the crowd, and can also help dust off any skills that you may have let fall down by the wayside.

By taking part in CPD, you can stay up to speed with all the different changes involving technology and everything else in your industry. Having a knowledge of these pieces of technology will keep you and your employer a step ahead of the competition.

Everyone can end up jaded in their professions — but by engaging in CPD, you can open yourself up to new skill areas and fresh knowledge, encouraging you to stay engaged and interested in your role.

This refreshed interest and intrigue regarding your role will make you more effective and engaged, leading to higher rates of productivity and efficiency. More often than not, the responsibility for engaging in continuing professional development lies with the individual. This can show that you have initiative and are looking to progress, two things that employers will notice.

However, as issues with skills gaps continue, more and more employers are starting to encourage their employees to engage in CPD. There is a common misunderstanding among many employers that learning at work , and engaging in CPD, will take too much time and effort. In recent years, however, more flexible CPD options have come to the fore, and the combination of online learning, workshops, events, and even exhibitions can provide much-needed professional development as well as networking opportunities.

In our ever-increasing globalised society, competition is rife, and the importance of continued professional development cannot be trivialised. Evolution in different industries is exciting and offers all sorts of opportunities, but it also presents challenges.

The types of CPD learning can vary and cover a wide range of different methodologies — from formal, structured training to personal study taken in your own time.

Continuing professional development not only boosts the individual but also enhances the company, and so is a useful thing for companies and industries to invest in. There are three main types, or steps, of CPD that you can engage in.

A lot of CPD involves you being proactive and taking steps to equip yourself with the relevant knowledge that your industry requires. This form of CPD learning involves interactive study, along with participation, and is usually very proactive.

Learning CPD in this format could involve attending training courses, conferences, workshops and seminars, or even taking part in an online course to help you focus on the essential skills for your career development. This could involve reading relevant CPD articles, engaging in podcasts, and keeping up to date with industry news. Unstructured or self-directed CPD involves all activities that you would do on your own.

These include reading articles and publications, keeping up to date with industry journals and magazines, and monitoring work by leading experts in your field.

Accredited CPD training means that the learning you have undertaken has met the required standards and benchmarks as dictated by the CPD Certification Service. There are many industries that insist upon accredited CPD training as part of their membership.

For instance, the Chartered Institute of Marketing requires members to have documented evidence of at least 35 hours of CPD training a year. CPD plans are methods that you can use to both identify and record the learning and the development that you plan to undertake, to contribute to your career and your role. Having a CPD plan can help you identify the essential skills you need for your career development. It allows you to work out exactly what you should try to achieve, and to give yourself a date to achieve it too.

To gain recognition within a specific profession, registration with a CPD Professional Body is essential. There are approximately 1, of these, with an expectation that this number will increase over time. These organisations set standards for individuals to meet to ensure they can continue to be registered with their profession.

Therefore, it is even more crucial to take responsibility and provide evidence of upskilling or re-skilling. At Asset Wisdom, we have CPD accreditation on a number of our courses , making them ideal to gain the qualifications needed. To find out which of our learning solutions is right for you and discover more about our courses, click here or give us a call for the advice and support that can aid your essential growth.

What is Continuing Professional Development? Why do CPDs matter? Bear in mind, however, that the study and revision for these exams are regarded as self-directed learning see Self-Directed CPD section below. Reflective CPD is one-directional and passive, and there is no participant-based interaction involved. Examples include reading relevant news articles, case studies, and industry updates, as well as listening to podcasts. Some informal meetings fall into the Reflective CPD bracket, so long as their learning objectives are specified in an individual's overall CPD plan.

Self-directed learning constitutes all unsupervised CPD activities, including reading articles and publications, either online or in print. Unstructured learning material includes peer-reviewed books and studies, industry journals, trade magazines, and industry-specific news feeds.

At its core, CPD helps individuals, organisations, and entire industries maintain and develop knowledge and skills, but it also helps employees adapt to change. CPD provides a panoramic view of an individual's skill set, enabling them to hone their prevalent skills while improving those that require work. Ultimately, continual upskilling boosts confidence and empowers the individual to become more proficient in their role.

Equipped with the latest in-demand skills, CPD enables employees to adapt positively to changes in work or industry requirements, which is vital in a fluid job market.

CPD also provides concrete evidence of personal motivation for development, which is useful as leverage in appraisals and job applications.