“The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities, necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the practitioner’s working life”.

This recognises that CPD is not just relevant to new members, but affects all transportation professionals throughout their working lives.

The reputation of the Institution and its membership is influenced by the professional competence exhibited by its members.  It is important that this competence is maintained and that where difficulties exist these are identified and help given.  The Institution will, confidentially, monitor a small random sample of individual member's CPD records and their relevance to that individual's professional development plans on a yearly basis.

Members who have been selected for the current year, and whose plans meet the requirements of the Institution's CPD scheme will be excluded from the random sample for at least the following three years.

Members who have been selected for the current year, and whose submitted records do not appear to meet the requirements of the CPD scheme, will be contacted to explain the areas of concern. Where problems relate to a misunderstanding of the requirements or a genuine difficulty in meeting the objectives, the Institution will offer help either from Endsleigh Street or Branch level.

Where shortcomings are identified at the end of this process, the member will be asked to produce an action plan in order to meet agreed objectives which will be monitored at the end of a twelve month period.

Transportation systems and infrastructure are rapidly changing areas of activity. Members need to be aware of current topics and trends in their discipline and keep up to date with developments if they are to maintain their credibility as professionals.

Undertaking a systematic programme of CPD and lifelong learning demonstrates a visible commitment to your profession – both to employers and society at large; up to date knowledge and skills; an awareness of current thinking and best practice; and a mature and inquiring mind

Undertaking systematic CPD is required of all members who are registered with the Engineering Council UK through IHT.

IHT recognises that individuals and employers are usually the best judge of their CPD needs and of the value of CPD activities they have undertaken. To this end, IHT stipulates quality and relevance as the key criteria for undertaking CPD, rather than mere quantity. Members are obliged to remain competent and up to date by undertaking whatever CPD activity best meets their development needs.

IHT recognises that members may also participate in other professional bodies CPD schemes, and employer-run schemes. These are likely to meet IHT’s CPD requirements. We will therefore include these within our monitoring process.

IHT encourages members to:

• produce a Professional Development Plan (PDP) each year that identifies professional development needs for the following two years,

• undertake at least 25 hours of CPD activity in any one-year period (averaged over three years), that is appropriate and relevant to their PDP,

• maintain a record of CPD activity over a one-year period with an assessment of the value of each activity against the achievement of the objectives stated in the PDP,

• submit to IHT, when required, a CPD Record and the PDP to which it relates,

• help colleagues to meet their CPD needs.

What constitutes CPD?

The purpose of undertaking CPD is to meet the objectives outlined in your PDP – it is about relevance and applicability rather than simply clocking up hours. For example, attending a conference or seminar does not constitute CPD if you have gained nothing towards meeting your personal aims and objectives.

• courses leading to a relevant qualification;
• attendance at branch meetings;
• distance learning packages;
• structured (not routine) reading on particular themes or topics;
• lecturing on topics that are relevant to your PDP objectives;
• involvement in IHT’s panels or acting as a consultant on topics of relevant professional interest;
• secondment to a post which adds relevant knowledge and expertise;
• giving presentations on CPD to colleagues;
• giving careers presentations to educational establishments;
• shadowing a colleague; and
• taking an active part in IHT affairs as a member of a branch committee.

All IHT members are expected and encouraged to undertake CPD with the exception of honorary Fellows, retired members; and members who are undertaking full or part-time study which leads to a relevant qualification.

Your CPD Record shows what you have done, what you have learned and how it relates to your PDP. The act of recording CPD activities is in itself an opportunity to reflect on what you have gained and to analyse the progress towards your PDP objectives.

IHT provides an example proforma CPD Record; however we recognise that members may wish to hold their CPD and PDP forms online for ease of recording and review. If this is the case, members must ensure that the basic information required by the Institution is replicated in any computer produced documentation and can be presented for scrutiny e.g. in a hard copy format.

The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a short planning document that examines your current CPD needs, looks at how these might be met and lists objectives for the future. It helps to structure and focus your training needs and should address the following points:

• Where am I now?

• Where am I going?

• How am I going to get there?

On-going training has long been a vital part of the career development of professionals in the highways and transportation field.  Nowadays, with significant changes in Government Policies and Priorities affecting our industry and profession, the need for training to ensure that our skills are up to date and ready to meet these challenges is even more important

Unplanned training is unlikely to bring the maximum return on the valuable time and money you spend on it and it is for this reason you are required to produce a Professional Development Plan (PDP) as part of the process of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

• Consider your current job and the skills you need to do it competently. What changes are likely to occur in the next few years?

• List both short and long-term ambitions. Be realistic about your ambitions and the time needed to achieve them.

• Think about the areas in which you will need to target your CPD to achieve your ambitions – be realistic and prioritise. A PDP is not a request for unlimited training. Your employer will be interested in the business case for your PDP.

• Look to the future; don’t restrict yourself to thinking about current professional responsibilities. Should you strengthen existing skills or develop new ones?

• List out your priorities for the next two years. These will form the basis for deciding what CPD opportunities to undertake. It is important to remember that your priorities are not cast in stone; you may wish to change them in the future.

Your PDP will need to be reviewed and updated regularly to respond to changing needs, challenges and opportunities. IHT provides a standard proforma document that you can use for your own PDP.