Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a way of constant professional learning used in many industries. The aim is to keep your staff and customers (direct or indirect) up to date with the latest industry knowledge, regulations, legislations, impacting trends and new product innovations that your company can provide; you are the experts in your industry.
Some institutes expect their members to do up to 50 hours of CPD learning each year to maintain their membership so their time is valuable.
CPDs can create a positive impression of your company if you get them right.
They’re logged by hours of learning and can be given in different formats, such as:
- online webinars
- face-to-face presentations
- showroom and factory tours
- conferences and events
- articles with questionnaires
What you need to consider before you get started.
You’ll need to consider how your company would best utilise your employees’ time to present the CPD for the best results and, therefore, what CPD format would suit your company. If you have a training facility, you could consider opening it up for a CPD tour and practical training. You’ll need to ensure that you have a format, like a walk-around route, decide what will be said at each stop, and provide follow-up content material which meets the required standards, is helpful and is not a sales pitch.
Certifying Your CPD
Independently certified CPDs met high standards for learning. When starting your CPD, consider;
- the audience you are targeting,
- the topics you will cover,
- the format you will present.
Writing CPDs can be time-consuming and may need additional research as you want your attendees to leave with knowledge that they perhaps didn’t have before, or a better understanding of the subject.
Once your CPD is ready, you need to start the certification process. Register with the provider that promotes to your target audience, for example, RIBA if you are targeting architects or CIBSE for building services engineers. They will check your content to ensure that it meets their standards and come back to you with suggestions for changes if required. Once certified, you can promote your CPD offerings.
Where to Promote Your CPD
CPDs need not be independently certified, as you can still issue a certificate of hours to attendees. However, it helps to have certification as this will assure attendees that your CPD is to the highest standards and that the content will be for learning. The providers will host your CPD on their platforms, resulting in a larger reach to attendees.
CPD Certified Providers
There are many CPD certification providers covering different sectors; below are a few suggestions to get you on your way, but we would advise you to search and find the provider that best suits your company’s needs.
- CPDUK.co.uk covers all sectors from beauty to the built environment.
- CIBSE CPD provider is a key place for building services
- RIBA CPD providers are targeted at the architecture and associated sectors
- CIOB CPD there are many accredited CPDs for the construction industry.
And remember, CPDs can help you build contacts, promote your company as a respected industry voice and help earn invitations to specify or tender for projects.
