Education has limits but learning does not!

Do you remember learning to ride a bicycle? For most, it involved someone holding the bike while explaining how to peddle, and then holding on and running alongside the bicycle until you got the hang of it. Therefore learning can be described as acquiring knowledge and skills through experience. In the professional sphere, this is what Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is all about. It is aimed at assisting professionals to develop their academic and professional skills beyond their initial training on an ongoing basis through peer coaching, short courses and mentorship.

Before World War II it had largely been assumed that qualified professionals would identify and initiate their learning on a casual or voluntary basis. But in the decades following World War II, institutional bodies identified a need for structured further learning post-formal qualification due to the industrial revolution and increases in technology and legislative requirements - hence the concept of continued professional development was born.

Albert Einstein said, ‘education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think’ – and this is why CPD is so important. Ensuring that your skills and abilities are enhanced beyond formal education will increase the effective use of your skills. CPD helps one to:

• Avoid the skills gap.
• Stay up to date with changing trends.
• Become more effective in the workplace.
• Advance the body of knowledge within your profession.
• Increase interest in your profession.

Different professional bodies have different CPD requirements and compliance rules. The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) runs for a 5-year cycle. In these 5 years, a registered person is required to engage in CPD activities across all three categories and obtain a minimum of 50 hours to be compliant. The SACPCMP has classified their CPD into three categories that need to be engaged in order to comply.

• Category A: Core and Non-Core Knowledge (focused on acquiring knowledge through learning) [30 hours]
• Category B: Mentorship and Development (focuses on mentorship and development) [ 10 hours]
• Category C: On-the-job training (focused on your day-to-day activities at work) [ 10 hours]

Similarly, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) also runs for a five-year cycle during which time the registered practitioner needs to obtain a minimum of twenty-five credits. There are three categories in which CPD credits can be obtained, namely:

• Category 1: Developmental Activities
• Category 2: Work-based Activities
• Category 3: Individual Activities

The South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Saiosh) only runs for a three-year cycle. It requires a minimum of 90 points for Chartered and 80 points for Graduate and Technical levels.

Learning is a process that continues throughout your life, and by engaging in continuing professional development, you can ensure continued success in your career. Often it is the people who engage in CPD who become integral members of a company, as they continuously strive for improvements and new developments.

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Training Academy offers CPD points with Saiosh for all Health and Safety courses. In addition, its JBCC course is accredited by SAIBD for 1.2 credits in category 1, and its Health & Safety Skills programme is accredited by SACPCMP for 60 Hours in category A.

Heidi Kilian

Head: Training Academy

References

Find Courses. (2018). Continuing Professional Development: Past, Present & Future [online]. Available from: https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/hr-learning-development-articles/continuing-professional-development-cpd-certification-service-9329 [accessed: 13/2/2023]