What is CPD – and why does it matter?

At assessment, businesses certified on an electrotechnical scheme with NICEIC must show evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) for everybody who undertakes electrotechnical work within the business. But what actually is CPD – and why is it so important?

What is continuing professional development?

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the process of developing and maintaining the skills you need to perform your job.

Your chosen learning activities don’t always have to relate directly to your profession or industry. However, you should ensure that they broadly complement your role and enhance your knowledge and skills.

Nor do they need to be completed in traditional classroom settings. They might include training in so-called ‘soft skills’ such as leadership, business development or time management, and can be undertaken online, in a classroom, from the comfort of your own home, or even in the van!

What are the benefits of CPD?

CPD is designed to help you stay up to date with the skills and knowledge you need to thrive in your chosen profession. It also provides evidence of your competence. It can be vital for career progression, enabling you gain the skills to move into new roles and take on different types of jobs.

The world of work – and our industry in particular – is always changing. Keeping on top of updates to legislation, regulations, and training requirements is an important part of running a successful electrical business.

New technologies are also growing in popularity, with government incentives fuelling customer demand for energy efficiency measures like solar panels, EV charging, and heat pumps. Businesses that upskill in these areas will have access to this growing customer base.

Qualifications are also constantly updated to include new knowledge and skills. So, even highly qualified people will eventually develop gaps in their knowledge that should be filled in with CPD. It is also likely that if you took your exams 20 years ago, you might have forgotten a thing or two! Undertaking CPD is a great way to brush up on all the key skills you need to stay competitive.

Beyond the technical aspects of the job, the way businesses market their services to customers has changed massively over the last decades. Customers looking for a trustworthy electrical business rely on so much more than word of mouth these days. They also expect tradespeople to have a strong online presence and excellent reviews on platforms like Google and Facebook.

If you’re not too tech-savvy, it might be worth investing some of your CPD hours in getting social media smart. A study by Direct Line found that tradespeople who use social media to market their business get almost half (47%) of their jobs through these channels.

In our industry, the simple truth is that if you don’t undertake CPD, you will get left behind. And worse, you’ll potentially be handing your competitors a distinct advantage.

Types of CPD

Contrary to what you might think, it’s actually quite easy to rack up your CPD hours once you understand the kinds of activities that count. Essentially, any activity that helps you learn or develop professionally can be counted as CPD.

These activities usually fall into one of four categories:

Self-directed learning, including:

• reading an article in Connections magazine or The Circuit
• watching an episode of The Wire
• listening to a podcast
• looking at the NICEIC Pocket Guides app.

Formal education, including:

• professional qualifications
• training courses
• e-learning courses.

Work-based learning, including:

• shadowing a colleague or mentor
• reflecting on colleague or customer feedback
• contacting the NICEIC technical helpline.

Professional activity, including:

• being involved with a trade body
• giving a presentation for work
• attending trade events.

How do I record my CPD?

As you know, you must document CPD hours for all ‘employed persons’ in your business (including sub-contractors) to show at your NICEIC assessment. From 1 March 2025, it will become even more important to keep these records on hand, as businesses that can’t show them at their assessment will be given a window of 30 days to do so.

For each CPD activity you undertake, you need to capture the essentials. Briefly describe what you did (like joining a webinar, reading a Connections article, or taking an online course), noting down the date and how long it took.

Next, think about the knowledge, skills, or experience you acquired. Make a note of your learning outcomes and outline how the activity has contributed to your ongoing career development.

Fortunately, recording your CPD couldn’t be easier with NICEIC’s CPD record template, which is available to download on our Recording CPD page. The template is designed to help you record the development you have completed and plan your future CPD needs. Whilst structured CPD is great for ensuring you meet all your development needs, don’t forget to also take advantage of any ad hoc CPD opportunities that come along, as these can be invaluable.

Get started on your CPD journey with NICEIC

At NICEIC, we provide our certified businesses with all the CPD materials they need to upskill, grow their business and get more customers through the door. From webinars and podcasts to technical articles and guides, we’re sure we’ll have something to suit your learning style and requirements.

Simply visit our CPD hub to get started or sign up to receive news and information straight to your inbox.