CPD accreditation explained
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has become an invaluable resource for both individuals and organisations across all industry sectors. With ever increasing competition and rapid changes in technology and the working environment, a commitment to CPD ensures the development of skills and knowledge crucial to continued growth and success.
CPD accreditation supports organisations in responding to evolving industry and learner expectations. Organisations from across industry sectors use CPD accreditation to add value to their training and events.
Become a CPD provider
CPD accreditation can offer reassurance and peace of mind to individuals undertaking the learning for their Continuing Professional Development requirements. With over 30 years' experience providing CPD accreditation and members in over 100 countries, The CPD Certification Service actively supports the promotion of Continuing Professional Development across the world. To find out more about CPD accreditation, please contact our team today.
What is CPD accreditation?
CPD accreditation provides an independent assessment of your training courses, events and other forms of learning to ensure clear structure and value.
The CPD Certification Service has over 30 years' experience supporting organisations with CPD accreditation.
Applying CPD accreditation to learning activities helps to differentiate your offering in the market, whilst also providing a sign of quality and reassurance to learners and delegates.
CPD accreditation can apply to a number of core learning activities, which includes training courses, workshops, seminars, eLearning, conferences, and educational events.
How does CPD accreditation work?
The CPD accreditation process involves a thorough review and collaborative development of training materials for the purpose of supporting those who require Continuing Professional Development.
Our accreditation process follows a practical method developed over the past few decades which evaluates training and events against our consistent CPD criteria.
We support high-quality structured CPD for delegates and attendees. Our Assessments team provide feedback and recommendations to make improvements to the learning where suitable.
What is suitable for CPD accreditation?
Our Assessments team review thousands of CPD training courses, workshops, seminars conferences and events every year. CPD accreditation is suitable for a range of different learning methods.
Training Courses
A CPD training course is the most well-known method of completing Continuing Professional Development, and can vary in length from one day up to several days or over several weeks. Training courses will often be specific to one subject or offer skills in a particular area of industry.
CPD training courses can also sometimes encompass others forms of learning such as lectures, seminars and workshops, and can be delivered either in-person such as classroom style, or online, or even possibly a hybrid of both.
Seminars
A seminar is a type of short course and typically only a few hours long up to one day. CPD seminars provide an opportunity to focus on a particular subject matter in detail. They are usually conducted in a group setting with no more than 20 participants.
CPD seminars will typically include group work, activities and interactive discussion, in order to allow individuals to contribute which can lead to better retention of knowledge. Seminars can also be a chance for individuals to network with others from different areas of their own industry or other sectors.
Workshops
A workshop is an interactive educational group session typically involving between 1 to 3 days of learning. Workshops and seminars are similar, but there are a few key differences. CPD workshops are less theoretical and tend to offer a more hands-on, practical skills approach to learning which may include practical exercises, breakout sessions and role plays. Workshop groups are usually smaller than seminars.
As CPD workshops are primarily activity and exercise based, it gives the group a chance to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical context and offers a hands-on approach to enhancing skills and knowledge.
Webinars
Webinars are an online learning activity held virtually and attended by an online audience. Often, the main objective of a CPD webinar is to educate and inform professionals in a short and concise manner about new and relevant information. CPD webinars can provide opportunity to interact and participate, ask questions to the hosts, complete polls or surveys, and share documents between attendees.
CPD webinars are useful in that they do not require attendance at an in-person event and therefore provide opportunity for wider, often international, participation.
Conferences and Events
There are a number of different forms of learning that are considered CPD events. For instance, there could be a live speaker delivered in the format of a guest presentation or a panel discussion. CPD events includes conferences, usually held at venues, sometimes with a keynote session and offering breakout learning by topic. Seminars may also feature as part of wider CPD events.
Organisations can choose to host or sponsor a particular industry trade show which are usually held in large spaces, with hundreds of products and services being showcased, and in doing so may add an educational CPD learning opportunity within the trade show itself.
Online Courses
Online CPD courses are an increasingly popular method of learning, and can offer convenience and affordability, in that there is no need to attend an in-person event and course materials can be shared free online.
Online courses offer flexibility for individuals to participate at a suitable time and schedule around other work and family commitments. In many instances, online CPD courses can be spread over a period of time rather than requiring participation on a given day.
Thousands of CPD training providers are sharing their skills with the world
*Each organisation featured has had specific learning activities certified through membership with The CPD Certification Service
CPD accreditation process
CPD accreditation is a simple process and helps organisations from different industries to develop their training into a structured approach to learning.
Complete our online form
Please use our simple form to provide us with some brief information about your organisation, training courses, workshops and events.
Discuss your CPD requirements
Our friendly and professional team can provide you with the relevant information on how to get CPD accreditation for your different learning activities.
Apply for CPD accreditation
As a CPD provider you can submit your courses, workshops, conferences and events directly to our CPD Assessments team for review, advice and approval.
Benefits of CPD accreditation
The CPD Certification Service provide accreditation for organisations ranging from small consultancy firms to large training providers, multi-national corporations, conference & events organisers, universities, further education colleges, local authorities, councils and Government departments.
Increase interest
Organisations often obtain CPD accreditation for learning activities to attract more of the right audience, and to increase training bookings and event attendance. CPD accreditation can provide reassurance that learning materials have been assessed for structure and value.
Competitor advantage
CPD accreditation can help organisations to differentiate themselves within their market, highlighting their expertise, knowledge and skills in a particular field. This can potentially support new business and growth opportunities.
Learning development
The process of gaining CPD accreditation can help enhance the structure and value of learning materials. Our experienced CPD Assessors provide advice and a framework to help improve the educational offering.
Wider network
When an organisation becomes a CPD member, they become part of a larger network of CPD accredited providers, with opportunities to connect with a broader community of professional organisations committed to high-quality learning.
Organisation improvements
CPD applied within an organisation can help improve internal business proposition, creating a learning culture that leads to potentially higher employee engagement, satisfaction and retention. Staff may be more likely to invest in their careers, avoiding the costs of high staff turnover.
International reach
Independent assessment demonstrates to attendees the steps taken to deliver high-quality training. The CPD Certification Service actively supports the promotion of Continuing Professional Development across the world, with CPD members in over 100 countries and growing.
Assessment process
The CPD Certification Service Assessments team follow an established method developed over the past few decades.
Each CPD training course or event is reviewed against our assessment criteria across a number of key areas to ensure:
- Independent review
- Educational value
- Coherent structure
- Clear learning objectives & outcomes
CPD membership
Our experience and history helps to provide assurance that training courses and events are assessed and checked to ensure individuals are getting the most out of the learning.
The CPD Member and CPD Certified symbols support providers in the promotion of their training courses and events. The CPD Certified symbol offers professionals, associations and educational training providers reassurance that learning has been through our assessment process.
Tens of thousands of training courses, events, e-learning programs, conferences, workshops and seminars have been formally CPD certified by us to date, adding significant value for both professional audiences and training providers, and helping to improve learning activities across industries.
Apply for CPD accreditation today
Next Steps - Talk to our team
Find out how CPD accreditation can add value to your training and events. Support the many people who complete Continuing Professional Development each year.
