What is CPD?

0

Continual professional development or CPD, is essential for anyone who wants to grow in their career. CPD helps professionals keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date. This ensures you remain effective and have a competitive advantage. CPD involves learning and training activities that improve your skills and abilities. As well as helping you stay current with industry changes. In our blog, we’ll explain what is CPD and why it’s important to you. By the end of the blog, you’ll have a clear understanding of CPD and how it can help you achieve your goals.

What is CPD?

CPD is a way for you to keep learning and improving your skills throughout your career. It can involve taking part in a range of activities that help you stay current with the advancements within your sector. The main goal of CPD is to make sure you continue to be a competent professional. Here are a few examples of CPD activities;

  • Completing more education
  • Attending workshops,
  • Seminars,
  • Online training,
  • Mentoring and coaching,
  • Reading professional journals,
  • Networking.

When it comes to CPD, you need to be proactive with your learning. You should choose CPD activities that are relevant to your career and will help you achieve your objectives. This helps the CPD be meaningful and beneficial to your development.

Benefits of CPD

Engaging in continuous professional development offers a range of benefits for you. CPD allows you to build on your existing skills, while also gaining new ones. By staying current with the latest developments, you become more effective and efficient in your role. This continuous learning ensures you can do your job to the best of your ability. As well as to continue to grow as a professional.

Investing in your professional development can lead to better job opportunities. By continuously improving your skills and knowledge, you increase your chances of promotions, a wage increase, and new career opportunities. In addition, there’s a sense of accomplishment when it comes to CPD, which can lead to job satisfaction.

Additionally, many professions require you to complete ongoing learning to maintain certifications and licenses. Also, CPD makes sure you meet these requirements and keep your qualifications current.

CPD in Different Professions

In the field of assessment, CPD is vital for assessors. They need to stay current with industry standards and practices. Assessors need to engage in CPD activities such as attending workshops, taking courses, and attending industry-specific seminars. These activities help assessors stay updated with the latest assessment methodologies, regulatory changes and best practices. Making sure they can provide accurate and fair assessments of learners’ skills and competence.

For Internal Quality Assurers (IQAs), CPD is as equally important. IQAs are responsible for maintaining the quality and consistency of assessment practices within a company. To carry out their role effectively, they need to be informed about new legislation, standards, and procedures. CPD activities might include professional networking, attending relevant training sessions, and engaging in peer reviews. These activities help IQAs to provide constructive feedback, support assessors, and ensure that assessments meet standards.

How to Plan CPD

Start by identifying what you want to achieve with the CPD. Set clear, achievable goals that go with your aspirations. Consider areas where you need improvement or new skills that could benefit your role. Additionally, choose CPD activities that match your goals. Ensure that each activity is relevant and adds value to your professional development.

How to Record CPD

You should create a CPD log or journal to document your activities, what you learnt, and how it applies to your work. Use digital tools like online CPD trackers, apps or spreadsheets for easy tracking and organisation. You should also regularly review and update your records to reflect new learning and progress towards your goals.

Complete CPD with Brooks and Kirk

As a leading training provider, we cater to your needs as much as possible! We have a variety of CPD courses that you choose from depending on what you want to achieve. If you’ve been out of the assessing role for a little while then completing the Level 3 Award in Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment is perfect. This is a knowledge-only unit, so it gives you insight into any new standards and procedures. Alternatively, if you work closely with assessors and want to know a bit more about what they do, then this is also a great course.

If you’re a manager and want to know more about quality assurance and its processes then the Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice would be perfect. Similar to the award, this is a knowledge-only unit, giving you a better understanding of what goes on in quality assurance.

If you’re an assessor and want to know more about End-Point Assessment then our EPA CPD course is right for you. This CPD course goes into detail about how assessments in EPA are different from vocational assessments. Each CPD course is completed online so you can fit it around your schedule and don’t have to come into a physical classroom. All are verified CPD courses so you come away with a physical certificate which goes towards your own CPD.

If you have any questions about any of the CPD courses get in touch with our team today! You can call us on 01205 805 155 or send us an email at training@brooksandkirk.ac.uk and we’d be happy to help.