Continuing professional development (CPD) is a smart investment. It sharpens skills, boosts competitiveness, and helps organisations and individuals stay up to date with the latest industry standards. In this post, we’ll break down what CPD is, why it matters, and how it can be beneficial to everyone involved.
Have you ever attended a conference to learn about new research in your field? Perhaps you’ve undergone training to refresh your knowledge of DEIB or data protection. These are both strong examples of CPD, otherwise known as Continuing Professional Development. While CPD is very much an umbrella term, it tends to encompass all the activities we do to:
If you’re already familiar with the meaning of CPD and some of its benefits, you may want to jump ahead. If not, let’s take a look at what activities can contribute to CPD and why the practice as a whole is so important.
There are lots of activities that contribute towards CPD. These fall under three main categories:
When combined, these simple elements help to support a well-rounded professional development journey that can enhance someone’s skills and improve future prospects.
According to a white paper published by the CPD Standards Office, 90% of professionals believe CPD plays a big part in career progression.
While many businesses engage in CPD programs to ensure staff stay highly skilled, in environments like healthcare settings and public sector environments — where outdated information or obsolete practices can have significant consequences — CPD becomes even more critical.
In these fields, professional development isn’t just helpful, it’s a safeguard that protects public welfare and ensures service delivery meets contemporary standards.
Of course, not all organisations face life-or-death situations, but failing to refresh knowledge or develop staff skills can still lead to negative outcomes, so it’s always important to make CPD a priority.
Anyone in a professional environment.
Whether you’re an employer or an employee, there are so many reasons to engage in CPD. It helps to ensure knowledge remains current, boosts job satisfaction, expands career advancement opportunities, and is also a great way for businesses to demonstrate their professional commitment.
You might find these terms bundled together, but the CPD Standards Office makes a small distinction. They view training as something that enhances present performance by addressing skill gaps in an employee’s “current role”, while development is seen as a means to broaden capabilities for long-term growth and advancement.
In other words, training focuses on the “now” while development invests in the “next.”
It’s important to note that different organisations may have different interpretations of training and development, but both are a part of CPD.
Becoming CPD certified is a way for training providers, course creators, and educators to show that their training and development activities meet the standards for CPD. It ensures that training is relevant, well-structured, and valuable for professionals to maintain and enhance their skills and knowledge.
If you’re a business owner and want to deliver CPD training in-house, you’ll need to apply online for accreditation. There isn’t one single organisation you have to use; numerous CPD accreditation bodies can do this. Most require you to submit your training materials, learning objectives, and delivery methods to ensure they meet CPD standards.
Some bodies may also review learner engagement strategies or request a pilot session. Once approved, you’ll receive your CPD certification, which can be used to demonstrate your professional commitment.
Your go-to monthly newsletter for creating inclusive environments for neurodivergent talent in the workplace
If you’re an employee, there are many ways you can benefit from CPD. Here are just a few:
Business owner? Here’s how CPD can improve performance, boost retention, and keep teams future-ready:
While CPD takes time and commitment, it builds the confidence and capability that transforms good teams into great ones.
How will you take your team to the next level?
Our small but mighty team builds leading-edge software that people love. We pride ourselves on a user-led approach to product design. The voice of the customer shapes what we create and that’s exactly how great assistive tech should be made.
