What Are CPD Hours? | The Ultimate Guide

What is CPD? 

CPD is short for Continuing Professional Development. This is a practice instilled by big organisations or businesses. These organisations can range from construction industries to healthcare or finance industries. Institutes such as RICS require their members to participate in yearly development and knowledge gain. Throughout the year, you will track your progress and participate in activities that contribute to you and your company’s growth. You can participate in conferences, seminars or attend online courses to contribute towards your professional hours.  

Why Do You Need CPD Hours?

“So, why do I need to do all of this?” Completing your CPD hours will prove your work ethic and solidify your commitment to grow in your profession. The core motivations for CPD hours is the need to stay relevant in your industry. With technology continually developing, it’s important you stay up to date each year with new theories and procedures. Whether you are a dental nurse, a lawyer or a construction engineer, you will most likely at some point have to complete some independent study. A couple of hours a year is all you need to stay on top of your game and able perform at the highest standards for your company or institution. 

How Many Hours Do I Need to Do?

Depending on what industry you work in, the amount of hours you will need to complete each year will vary. In general, you can expect to spend around 20-40 hours per year on your professional development through both formal and informal study. The standard for most construction and engineering organisations is 20 hours, whereas healthcare, medical and safety industries usually require 35-40 hours a year. How you choose to spend your CPD hours is your choice, so long as you study and complete relevant content to your industry. 

What Can I Do? 

It’s important that during your CPD hours, you make the most of every opportunity given to you. You’ll come across some exciting prospects when looking into what types of development you can choose. The two main types of CPD hours are formal hours and informal hours. You will gain a better insight into what activities fall into which categories when you start researching what you want to do. The ratio of formal to informal hours you need to complete is usually 50/50.  

Informal Hours Include: 

-          Usually self-managed study with a clear learning outcome

-          On-the-job training

-          Reading books or academic journals

-          Reviewing academic articles and books in a relevant field

-          Knowledge pooling with professionals

-          Shadowing a professional in the workplace

-          Attending a coaching session

-          Informal workshops and seminars

Generally, despite the name ‘informal’, these learning hours still have to have clear objectives and a focus for development. These skills also offer room for personal growth and development as well as learning knowledge to better your professional career.

Formal Hours Include:

-          Carrying out academic research

-          Writing and publishing your own professional work

-          Taking approved CPD hours online courses

-          Any course accredited by a relevant organisation

-          Attending board or committee meetings in a relevant field

-          Running or providing an academic presentation for others

-          Seminars or workshops organised by professional individuals or organisations 

Many individuals choose to opt for professionally accredited online courses for their formal CPD hours. Many educational institutions offer online courses which contribute towards your formal development category, in a subject of your choosing. For example, The College of Contract Management, a UK-based online college, offers CPD approved courses in Claims Preparation, Project Audit and Evaluation, Health Safety & CDM Regulation and Project Documentation to name a few. When studying an online course, it will benefit you to choose one that is specifically tailored to CPD hours. What this means is, on completion you will receive a Certificate of Completion. The content you will learn is also more tailored to inter-personal and career development skills, with this being the main point for CPD.

What’s In It For Me?

Throughout every year when you complete you CPD hours, you’ll gain new and innovative knowledge in your industry. There are multiple benefits to taking some extra time to study, including increasing your confidence within your workplace and maximising your team’s potential. It is a time to take a moment and participate in some individual reflection; what is it you want to gain from your career? Where do you see your knowledge bank in 5 years? What areas can you improve to become a better team member? While learning key skills and developing competence in your profession is important, it’s even more essential to reflect on what you want to gain in order to maximise what you can get out of CPD.