All members have an obligation to undertake CPD throughout their chosen career as a means of maintaining current competencies in the ever evolving field of Operations Engineering. Importantly, for Engineering Council Registrants this obligation underpins the value of the professional titles of Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Statement
“The Society of Operations Engineers is committed to promoting and supporting the professional development of its members in their obligation to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD)”.
What is CPD?
CPD is the systematic acquisition of knowledge, skills and personal qualities, in order to maintain and/or enhance professional competence.
Why CPD should be undertaken?
There are numerous reasons to undertake CPD and these depend primarily on your own circumstances; the need for career progression, continuing competence in your current job or indeed to support any additional roles which you undertake away from your primary job such as voluntary work, mentoring, etc. Additionally, you may be considering long term goals towards a future specific role or level of professional registration, which will require different knowledge and skills to your current position. It is important to recognise that as a professional Operations Engineer you have an obligation to yourself, society and the environment to stay informed of the technological and environmental challenges we encounter daily.
What constitutes CPD?
CPD comes in a variety of different forms from informal learning through the challenges of normal working life and the interaction with colleagues, customers, suppliers, etc, to structured learning in the form of courses, distance learning programmes, private study, mentoring, involvement in professional body activities, or voluntary work. The list is not exhaustive and you will be best placed to identify your needs, the method that suits your learning style and importantly, your available time.
Take a moment to reflect on all the above. You are already involved with CPD whilst reading this. It is expanding your knowledge of an obligation placed on you by society as a professional. In your work both colleagues and employers will expect you to stay current, be it as an engineer, a manager or as a team player.
Plan to succeed
Most engineering professionals already undertake CPD, but this is often on a casual basis with no deliberate planning. By developing a plan (where am I now, where do I want to be and when?) you can set milestones and learning goals to be achieved. Recording the activities you undertake against the plan will allow you to consciously reflect on your progress as a cyclical process so that when necessary, you can adjust your plan to suit life’s changing needs both professionally and personally.
What is expected of me as a member of SOE? You shall:
Take ownership of your development needs and develop a plan to meet these objectives in discussion with your employer/mentor, as appropriate.
Undertake development activities appropriate to your plan.
Record your CPD activities.
Reflect on learning outcomes and record reflections.
Evaluate activities against plan and record evaluations.
Review your plan regularly following reflection and evaluation.
Support the learning and development of others through activities such as mentoring and by sharing professional expertise and knowledge.
