How do you ensure you’re undertaking a credible, worthwhile course?
We’ve all heard the term ‘Mickey Mouse Course’. It’s possibly the most damning phrase a person can use against any learning.
Several factors are worth considering before committing to a course. We might view something less expensive as lacking in value. We could ask around or read up to find out what others think. We may meet with the person delivering the course to ensure they know what they’re talking about. And if you’re like me, you want to meet the trainer or coach to check the chemistry between you and ensure that your values align. It’s a tricky and time-consuming affair.
Finding an accredited course can be a helpful shortcut. Although BESPOKEN has been growing year on year, we wanted to give my clients quality assurance to validate the work they completed.
“I first looked at CPD Accreditation five years ago, and it was something of Catch-22 situation: I knew the accreditation would prove my competence and bolster my confidence – but I didn’t have the time or the confidence to go for it while I was growing my business,” shares Director Fiona Brennan-Scott. “So, when the CPD Standards Office offered the opportunity to provide CPD Accreditation for all I offered – training, coaching and keynote speaking on Audience Engagement Skills, I couldn’t resist! With the confidence of six years delivering the courses and talks, and my first book, Breathtaking Communication – Tools and Techniques for Everyday Leaders published in January 2023, I knew I was ready for this big step.”
Growth also meant that BESPOKEN had taken on a virtual assistant, Sanita Milliere, who encouraged Fiona through completing the rigorous, multi-level process. But the badge BESPOKEN now wears and the certificates we can now hand out to attendees have been worth the time, effort and expense.
In case you don’t know the benefits of attending accredited CPD courses here is an overview:
- Credibility and validation – this stamp of approval demonstrates that experts in the field back the training you’ve completed. It took five months for us to gather, collate and submit the information for BESPOKEN training and keynote speaking material on Audience Engagement Skills.
- Best practice – as a professional looking to boost your skills, accredited CPD courses ensure that the content matches current trends and best practices to acquire professional qualifications. It was validating to have an external, professional body judge our work as being of the highest quality and standard.
- Good for career progression – when you finish accredited CPD courses, you tend to have better job roles and opportunities, an easier path to success, improved work performance, and a higher chance of getting hired. When leaders, especially in STEM* are promoted to leadership, effective communication skills are often a weakness, where facilitating and presenting in meetings, online or at a conference can push them out of their comfort zone and area of competency. BESPOKEN Voice and Speech courses and keynotes ensure that they elevate their communication skills and are empowered to engage stakeholders with confidence.
If you want more detail, here are the benefits explained for employees, employers and how CPD certification is a driver for employability. If you would like to know what this looks like specifically with Audience Engagement Skills, please book a Discovery Call here and let’s chat.
Here is an extract from a Keynote in July 2024 given at a UCISA Conference.
The Benefits of CPD for Employees
If you’re an employee, you can reap the benefits of CPD and improve your skills in your current role and future career. By undertaking a CPD-accredited course, you can prosper from the benefits of CPD listed below:
1. Keeping Skills and Knowledge Up to Date
Without continued professional development, you can find that your skills and knowledge can become outdated. In some sectors, this could occur in just a matter of years. CPD-accredited training consistently provides the latest information to ensure learners are informed of the most recent developments, practices and data.
2. Professional Bodies are Satisfied
Some professions require continued training, not only to improve employee standards but also to satisfy regulating bodies. One of the most crucial benefits of CPD is that these regulations are met for the business but also the individual.
3. Providing a Sense of Direction
If you lose a sense of direction or even passion for your role, CPD training can reignite that missing element. CPD-accredited training courses can instil and cement your career path and aid in making the right choice for the future.
4. Academic Qualifications grow Confidence
Undertaking CPD courses can boost the confidence of those starting their careers as well as the most experienced employees. Further knowledge in a professional field or simply confirming how much you know and understand can boost determination and tenacity in the workplace.
5. CPD Certified Qualifications are Recognised
By completing a CPD-certified course, you can declare a recognised qualification on your CV. Not only does this aid you when seeking a new role, but can provide a credible basis when wanting to progress within your current roles.
6. Employees Respond Positively to Change with Professional Education
Change, no matter the size, can be daunting. By staying up-to-date and fully accredited to the standards expected in the workplace, you can be prepared for new challenges that occur. By being prepared in current practices, new ones can be easier to implement across the board and even aid other employees to make these changes.
7. CPD Training Course Promote Progression
Career progression is essential to most employees. Without CPD training, the confidence to make these steps may not be present. These certificate courses also provide you with an easy overview of your skills and knowledge, allowing you to make an informed selection process for career progression.
8. Online Training Promotes Flexible Learning
All accredited CPD training courses are available online. This means you can take the time you need to absorb information and retain it, rather than having to speed through the process to meet course deadlines.
CPDSO’s Research Project confirmed that for anyone hoping to get promoted, or wanting to specialise in a different area, demonstrating their learning agility and dedication to CPD can make a substantive difference. In real terms, this means that CPD contributes to achieving higher salaries.
The Benefits of CPD for Employers
The benefits of CPD for employers is something that no business should disregard. By choosing to use the benefits of CPD, employers can witness the following:
1. Accredited CPD Training Courses Help Maintain High Standards
Ensuring all staff are trained to the high standards a business expects can be challenging. A strong benefit of continuing professional development is that employee standards remain consistent, and employers know the information taught is accurate and verified.
2. CPD Can Improve Employee Retention
By actively seeking to improve employees’ knowledge and investing in their progression, staff are more likely to remain loyal to the business. This investment not only provides value to individuals in the workforce but also boosts their own confidence, reducing the chances of them feeling unfulfilled in their role.
3. Accredited CPD Training Promotes Best Practices
Staff will always be in varying stages of their career and therefore undertaking different levels of CPD courses. By consistently training all staff with the appropriate courses, it allows knowledge to be shared throughout teams and levels. Opening healthy discussions and debates throughout the teams can lead to positive collaborations.
4. CPD Certificates Lead to a Motivated Workforce
Staff morale is essential to a well-run business. With staff all possessing appropriate training to fulfil their roles, motivation is increased. The added benefit of CPD certificates is that staff feel valued by their employers for providing these opportunities.
5. Benchmarks For Staff Progressions
When decisions are being made in relation to staff progression, it can be difficult to determine who is best for a new role or who possesses the skills to step up. CPD-accredited courses provide this information to decision-makers, while also giving a benchmark to those employees who want to take the next step in their career pathway.
6. CPD Requirements are Met
Sectors that are regulated, such as law, finance, construction and medicine have CPD policies that are mandatory. By ensuring any courses undertaken by employees hold CPD accreditation, businesses know these requirements have been properly met.
Furthermore, by utilising the benefits of continuing professional development, businesses are distinguished from other competitors. Allowing them to attract the best candidates and retain their current employees.
In turn, this promotes trust with prospective and current clients by displaying commitment to maintaining the highest level of professionalism within the business
CPD is a driver for Employability
CPD is commonly thought of as a practice that is only applicable to individuals once they have completed a professional qualification or charter with a professional body. Whilst this has been the case historically, the CPD Standards Research Project has found a growing trend of ‘CPD’ activities focused on young people aged anywhere between 9 to 25 years.
Younger people are increasingly undertaking CPD and training activities outside of what’s available in schools, colleges or universities. The main driver is employability, and developing skill sets to become ‘work ready’ and more competitive within the job market.
It is important to remember that CPD is not a qualification, it is simply a practice for undertaking bite-size pieces of learning to build skills, knowledge, information or behaviours. The learning can start at ‘beginner level’, this means that anyone at any age can start undertaking CPD activities regularly.
BESPOKEN Voice and Speech wishes you well with your continuous professional development and hope we can be part of your journey.
