EQ15. Would a Registered Person with electrical engineering background who attends a training
course in civil engineering be eligible for CPD?
EA15. Yes, for the same reasons as EA14 above.
EQ16. How about soft skills training for Registered Persons? For example, Communication Skills
Workshop. Are they counted as CPD?
EA16. Yes. Please refer to answers EA18 and EA19 below too.
EQ17. Sometimes we attend product briefings, can these talks be counted as CPD?
EA17. Yes, product briefings usually touch on technical innovations and engineering R&D.
EQ18. Can a Registered Person clock in CPD Hours when he studies in topics related to his hobby
and personal interest like fishes, Formula 1 cars or the stock market?
EA18. It would not normally be considered as CPD. As CPD means Continuing Professional
Development, only activities which contribute and enhance the professional development of the
Registered Person would be relevant and eligible. If it enhances your professional development
then it can be counted. A case in question is scuba diving. If by scuba diving a Registered
Person is able to enhance his skills in order to undertake a new assignment to do underwater
structure inspection, then scuba diving is CPD. If a Registered Person is to be posted to Dubai
and knowledge in Arabic can enhance his/her professional duty, then learning Arabic is CPD.
Yes, judgement is needed and documented proof of a new posting or new job functions would
be needed in case of BEM audit.
EQ19. For Registered Persons involved in organising non-engineering courses and seminars,
can they consider such activity as Activity Type 5 “Engineering Service Activities” and be
eligible for CPD Hours?
EA19. Yes, if such courses and seminars benefit Registered Persons professionally, and involvement
is voluntary. Non-engineering subject matters such as effective communication, accounting and
finance, human resource management, corporate governance, sustainability, contract laws and
risk management; and perhaps even dress codes and etiquette, are important if not imperative
to the professional life of Registered Persons especially as they move up the management ladder
and become leaders of organisations. Such topics are therefore considered as CPD material and
eligible for CPD Hours. However, topics like multilevel marketing, personal health, how to stop
smoking, personal finance, parenting skills and alternative medicine may be important to the
personal life of Registered Persons but not to their professional life; and therefore, would not be
considered as CPD relevant.
EQ20. If we act as a mentor to graduate engineers, would it be considered as CPD and how many
CPD Hours would be claimable?
EA20. Yes, if the mentorship scheme is comparable to the mentorship programme instituted by
the IEM. Personal arrangement of mentorship should have the rigour in its governance and
implementation comparable with that put in place by the IEM (15 CPD Hours per year are allowed
by IEM for mentorship of one mentee). With proper governance, the quantum of contact hours
with the mentee can be the CPD Hours claimable.
EQ21. If a Registered Person is a lecturer and his job scope includes organising national
conferences, acting as internal and external examiner, participating in competitions on
inventions and organising field trips; would these activities be considered as CPD?
EA21. No, since these activities are part of responsibilities of a salaried position. They would be
considered CPD under Activity Type 5 “Engineering Service Activities” if they are not normally a
part of the Registered Person’s job scope.
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