People and Organisational Development

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a sustained commitment to lifelong learning and is now recognised as a strategic priority within our University Strategy Map. It means actively seeking opportunities to gain new knowledge, refresh existing expertise, enhance skills, and remain current with developments across both the Higher Education (HE) sector and your specific role. CPD is about taking personal responsibility for keeping your skills and expertise relevant in an evolving professional environment. It enables you to build on strengths, address areas for improvement, and continue developing in a purposeful, reflective way. Please watch this short video in which Helen Connor and Christian McGrath discuss all things CPD.

Why CPD Matters

• Keeps your skills and knowledge current
• Builds adaptability in a changing world
• Supports career progression and professional credibility
• Provides evidence of professionalism (for PDPRs, promotions, and memberships)

 

Examples of CPD Activities

In-House & On-the-Job Learning

• In-house training sessions
• Internal knowledge-sharing events (e.g. networks, forums)
• Mentoring (as mentor or mentee)
• Job shadowing or secondments
• Project-based learning (e.g. leading a new initiative)

Formal Education & Qualifications

• Apprenticeships
• Postgraduate degrees (e.g. MSc, MBA, PGCertHE)
• Professional certifications (e.g. PRINCE2, CIPD, ACCA)
• CMI qualifications

External Events & Networking

• Conferences and industry expos
• Professional association events
• Guest lectures or panel discussions
• Networking meetups
• Study tours or site visits

Online & Self-Directed Learning

• Webinars and virtual conferences
• Online courses (e.g. LinkedIn Learning, LearnUpon)
• Podcasts and educational videos
• Reading (books, journals, white papers)

Interactive & Experiential Learning

• Coaching (executive, career, or skills-based)
• Action learning sets or peer learning groups
• Hackathons or innovation labs
• Volunteering in a professional capacity

 

How to Approach CPD

1. Reflect – assess your current skills and gaps
2. Plan – set personal and professional goals
3. Do – choose a balanced mix of activities
4. Record – track what you learn and its impact
5. Review – revisit and adapt your goals as your career develops

 

Tips for Success

• Balance formal, informal, and experiential learning
• Align activities with your role and career ambitions
• Use CPD logs or journals to evidence progress
• Seek employer support (time, resources, mentoring) where possible

 

How the People and Organisational Development (P&OD) Team Can Support You

Our P&OD Managers are qualified coaches and can support your CPD by:

• Exploring alternative development pathways and helping you identify the most suitable options
• Supporting managers in planning and delivering team development activities
• Curating resources to strengthen online and self-directed learning
• Designing new courses aligned with our 2030 strategy.

 

Recording Your CPD

As CPD must be evidenced annually, please ensure your development activity is captured on your MyHR profile. Further guidance on recording your CPD is available here: How to...record personal learning events.

 

Recording Your CPD

We encourage you to record all your CPD activities in MyHR through your personal HR dashboard.

This gives you a clear record of the development you’ve completed over time, while also helping the University track engagement with CPD, which is a key priority in the Global Talent element of our University Strategy.

Adding your CPD in MyHR is quick and easy. If you’d like some extra help, you can watch a short guidance video here or download a step-by-step guide here: How to...record personal learning events.