This week marks the Festival of Learning, the biggest celebration of lifelong learning in England. Originally known as Adult Learners week, the mission is to highlight the benefits of learning and encourage everyone to embrace lifelong learning. At Gibson Hollyhomes we’re firm believers in continued professional development within your career and how it can not only benefit employees but also employers.
What are the benefits of CPD?
For employees…
For employees, continued professional development should be seen as an opportunity to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date and potentially learn new ones. For certain roles it also ensures that the professional qualifications and registrations are maintained. In particular in Finance and Accounting positions, common qualifications that may be offered alongside roles are the ACCA or AAT qualification or CIMA certificate. Don’t see this as off putting but instead as an opportunity to further your skills or even go into an area of specialism that you may not have considered within your degree.
Employees should also see this as a chance to build their credibility within a business and their proactive approach to progression with an employer. In fact, The CPD Standards Office recently found that for anyone hoping to get promoted, or wanting to specialise in a different area, demonstrating their learning ability and dedication to CPD can make a substantive difference. With this in mind, this means that CPD contributes to achieving higher salaries.
For employers…
For employers, having CPD targets and required hours to complete can ensure standards across the team are consistent and up to scratch. It also creates a useful benchmark for reviews and appraisals and can help to highlight areas where employees need support or extra training. It also shows your investment into an employee. If you’re willing to invest in their ongoing training, it demonstrates that you see them having a future at your business and could be the ideal candidate for promotion over recruitment.
Formal Vs Informal CPD
There are two types of CPD that a business may choose to implement with their staff, formal and informal. Formal includes following set certifications and training approved by professional bodies such as the CPD Certification Service. Whereas Informal, promotes self-directed learning without following a rigid training programme. If opting for this route, it’s good to outlie a CPD plan in an employee’s review so that you can both track and monitor objectives and progress.
CPD shows a clear commitment to self-development and professionalism. So why not talk to your employer this week about how you can continue learning or develop new skills in your current role.