8 ASSOCIATIONS
What really is CPD and what purpose does it serve ?
By IOPSA edited by Rory Macnamara .
Now that the dust has settled on the COC matter in compulsory standards , the industry can get back to business in terms of making choices that suit them and their business and with whom they wish to associate with .
So , in this article we look at Continuous Professional Development , CPD , and the advantage it offers to those wanting to gain benefits ( points ) because of their learning improved skills and general development individually . CPD is not an invention by the plumbing industry but applied by all professional bodies over a very long period . Accountants , engineers , doctors , and some trades offer this solely for the benefit of recognising the advancement of the individual - plumbing more recently than most .
Simply put , one collects points through tracking and recording experiences as well as knowledge gained through attending courses be they online , Zoom , webinars , reading and so on . One is not confined to any one service or product to gain points but a selection of options to gain the required point a body may require .
The main reason is to keep oneself abreast of ever-changing developments in the industry , which is occurring faster and faster as materials and products advance . One can no longer rely on the old saying of “ I ’ ve been a plumber for X number of years so no one can teach me anything !”
To sum up what CPD is about : it is the continuing life-long learning that follows naturally from the day one qualifies as a plumber and growing to offer the customer a better service .
IOPSA
Brendan Reynolds
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline April 2022 Volume 28 I Number 2