Continuing Professional Development

One of the key initiatives within the IPP is Continuing Professional Development (CPD). CPD is a process that encourages focus and reflection upon all aspects of your working life, with the benefit of enabling you to shape your development.

CPD is also a mark of your commitment to self-engagement and professionalism. As the parking sector moves towards greater professionalism, we anticipate that CPD will become more and more valued by employers and employees alike. If you become familiar with the process now, you will be in a position to expect respect and, potentially, professional advantages.

What Does CPD Involve?

The most important aspect of CPD is getting into the habit of regularly taking the time to consider what you need to be learning and what you are learning in your working life. You record your experiences at work and the insights that develop from them, then you use that information to become more and more capable and confident, and to identify further development - hence "continuing".

CPD is personal to you, and flexible enough for you to fit it in around other commitments. It can be a very empowering process, as you discover skills and talents that you may never have recognised before.

The key to successful CPD is to record key events and discoveries. If you do this regularly, CPD can encourage you to think about areas you want to improve on. With continued application, the process can give you a picture of your strengths and stimulate you to move towards making your aspirations a reality.

Why should I bother?

Fifty years ago most people could be fairly assured that their job was for life. Now, with more opportunities and less job security, the workplace is both a more demanding and a more exciting place to be.

CPD helps you understand and value your abilities, a vital advantage in a changing environment. This can give you the confidence to respond positively in uncertain situations, making you an asset to your organisation and increasing the chances that you will be recognised for your contribution.

Many of us began our working lives with comparatively little careers advice, and fast-paced lifestyles may limit the time we spend reflecting on how well our professional lives are living up to our expectations.

CPD is an opportunity to do that. As well as the satisfaction of taking an active role in your development, active commitment to CPD and the plans and records from that offer indications to others that you are taking responsibility for your professional development.

What do I do now?

A good starting point is to keep a diary of your experiences at work. This will make it easier for you to recall significant events when you are called upon to do so. The process of writing can also prompt valuable new insights to emerge.

When you're ready to make a bigger commitment, move on to keeping a more detailed record using the templates we have created: -

Click here to download the CPD Plan template and see an example here

Click here to download the CPD Record template and see an example here

Click here to download the Event Record template

Good luck, and remember that everyone finds CPD challenging at first. With practice, it'll soon begin to feel like a natural part of your working life.

IPP Join Institute of CPD

The IPP are now members of the Institute of Continuing Professional Development, or CPD Institute, which is an international cross-professional body promoting CPD, as a key component of lifelong learning, to organisations and individuals.

It also encourages networking and partnership among professionals and the groups with which they are associated.

CPD Executive & Trustee Jonathan Harris, CBE, says:

‘The Institute of Continuing Professional Development is part of the Continuing Professional Development Foundation, an educational charitable trust providing high-quality and broad-ranging CPD since 1981.'

Commitment to CPD is an acknowledgement that becoming professionally qualified is not an end in itself - it is merely the beginning.

Updating skills and knowledge on a continuing basis is essential to career progression, particularly given the passing of the 'job for life' and rigorously-defined career path cultures. 

For more information visit us at www.cpdinstitute.org