The value of CPD presentations

You’ve heard the term before, right? CPD points. You know/have been told you need to ensure you earn enough points over a period of time to ensure you meet your professional obligations, but what more can you tell us about it? With absolute respect, do you know much more?
In short, professional service industries require the professionals within the industry to acquire CPD points, but a lot of the time, people do not know what to do, or who to speak to. In this blog we break it all down for you.

What is CPD?

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and refers to the process of tracking and documenting the skills, knowledge and experience that you acquire both officially and informally as you work past any original training. The term is for the most part used to mean a portfolio documenting your development as a professional. In numerous industries, including building and construction, CDP has become a vital part of career development and a requirement for the holding of certain licences.

What is it for?

Regardless of your industry or occupation, the world’s industries are continually advancing, which sets out exciting opportunities but which also marks potential (learning) challenges. Marketplaces evolve, best practices change, technology leads to procedural change, innovation changes, and client practices and needs change.

The function of CPD is to help you record, audit and ponder what you learn, regardless of whether you’re simply beginning in your vocation, or if you have many years of experience in your role. It helps ensure your abilities and skills are current and that you’re updated on the most recent best practices so you can perform your job responsibilities to the best of your ability.

Why is CPD important?

Perhaps, above all, the value of CPD training lies in keeping your insight, knowledge, skills and abilities relevant. After all, as professionals dispensing advice, it’s important that you (we) stay up to date, thus ensuring what you recommend – be it a structural recommendation, a mechanical one or even a product related one, is not only fit for purpose, but the right one for the client’s needs.

From a client’s perspective as well, recognising and having faith that the team they are working with is well versed in the options available and what is going to work, will give them confidence that mistakes are unlikely, that they are covered and the solutions will work.

A career-long obligation for practising professionals, CPD is about gaining the extra skills, knowledge and experience expected to keep up with any changes and advances in the building and construction industry. In other words, it is an ongoing pathway toward broadening your skills, knowledge, and experience and to developing the relevant competencies required. In construction specifically, this means further education across methodologies, practices and legalities. Furthermore, if you plan to become a member of a professional body or association, (for example, for the team here at Permax, as a fire safety specialist), you need to make sure your documentation is up to date.

Exercises under CPD incorporate short courses, seminars and conferences, practical learning exercises, study of literature and other formal training.

CPD In Australia

Professional development in Australia has become compulsory in many industries on account of advances in innovation, changes in regulations and increasing specialisation. With regards to the Building industry, it is not mandatory except in NSW and Tasmania, though it is recommended still in most other states.
Even where it is not compulsory, continuing your professional development in Australia should be something that is undertaken a personal obligation, as a way of showing the market that you take your role seriously and are dedicated to delivering high quality service that safeguards the public and meets the expectations of customers and the requirements of their respective professions.

CPD benefits

The benefits of CPD can be seen from two perspectives – that of the employee, and that of the employer. It goes beyond just learning and development and is instrumental in building a happy and knowledgeable workforce with a great working relationship in a company between employees and employers.

For employees

CPD empowers a person to consistently apply attention to significant areas of advancement and takes suitable action to decrease any deficiencies in current information applicable to their job. In other words it adds to job enrichment. Where you allow an employee to undertake units which grow lateral knowledge within the industry, it can contribute to employee loyalty and add to a person’s professional ‘sense of direction.’

CPD arms employees with the right tools to cope positively to a variety of changes and boost their confidence, credibility while allowing them to highlight their achievements. By investing in their ongoing education – not only CPD but ongoing formal education – staff  will be better equipped to keep up to date with the market and in doing so help drive advancements within the industry.

CPD can also help employees increase knowledge of the benefits or implications of what they do, which can lead to increased engagement in their work.

For employers

It is likely that as an employer you already provide refresher training for staff, to ensure they are up to date with current workplace policies and procedures. During the process, you may have noticed that while your team might be dedicated and passionate, some may come up short on the drive or confidence to put themselves forward for fear of being seen as lacking in one area of another. By urging and putting your team through CPD courses you can enhance their morale, motivation and wellbeing which has many benefits for you as an employer too.

The critical advantage of CPD for employers is that it safeguards standards across the company and works to ensure output is both high and consistent. When it comes to your staff putting their best foot forward and representing your firm this is essential, as you are not only showcasing to your clients you are the right choice, but you are undertaking good brand management practices which will help you with future new business development.
Lastly, CPD also helps in meeting legal requirements and certification standards augmenting maximisation of staff potential.

Where to Get CPD Education?

There are a lot of associations and educational institutions offering refreshers on the basics of passive fire protection as well as offering training courses on new fire safety standards in Australia. The Fire Protection Association Australia, and Archify for example, offers an assortment of accreditation trainings and courses that you can exploit. But by the same token, the team here at Permax are able to offer you and your staff CPD accreditation solutions.
We have developed presentations offering up-to-date CDP training sessions on intumescent coatings and the latest technological advancements associated with passive fire protection. We would like to offer you and your colleagues the opportunity to organise a CPD Point presentation in the comfort and familiarity of your office premises.
Our CPD CPD Presentation will cover the following;

• Specifying Intumescent Fire Protection for Structural Steel
• An introduction to Nullifire
• The principles of Passive Fire Protection
• Traditional Fire Protection Methods for Structural Steel
• Introduction to Intumescent Coatings
• Components of a Coating System
• Latest Technologies in Intumescent Coating Advancements
• Specifying an Intumescent Coating
• Onsite / Offsite Application and Checks
• Technical Help and Information
• Summary and Questions

If you are interested in enhancing and honing your skills and achieve your full potential speak with one of our specialists or you can also visit our Permax CPD Presentation page for more details.