If you are a Professional Member of The Welding Institute, you should be aware that the way continuing professional development (CPD) is regulated by the Engineering Council is changing.
Professional Members of The Welding Institute who are registered with the Engineering Council have always been expected to undertake and record CPD activities. It is a requirement of registration and an important measure of registrants’ commitment to maintain and enhance their professional ability.
But the Engineering Council will now be monitoring registrants’ recorded CPD activities more closely, so it is essential that registrants take a structured approach to documenting their CPD.
To help its Members meet their CPD obligations, The Welding Institute has produced a new CPD plan and record card. The plan lists various possible CPD activities and how many credits each one contributes towards registrants’ annual targets.
Continuing professional development is not limited to training and formal education – attending conferences, on-the-job training and even reading can all count.
Members are first encouraged to identify their CPD needs and how they will achieve them; then, after completing an activity that could be considered CPD, to reflect on how it has benefited their ability to perform their role. The whole process should be documented on a CPD record card.
More detailed information on Engineering Council registrants’ CPD obligations can be found on the CPD page on the Engineering Council website.
If Professional Members are at all unsure of how they should approach CPD, or have any questions, The Welding Institute can provide support – contact us and we will be happy to help.