2.3 Continuing Professional Development
Carol Dix
According to Carol Dix in continuing professional development
challenge
and change. She says professional bodies in Britain have always
upheld
strong cultural and ethical standards that serve as solid and
dependable
spin to the real dimensions of our working lives. In terms of
change we
are ever more dependant on the professional bodies to be one step
ahead of
the day in introducing new ideas, concepts and demands on their
membership, so that those values and standards are maintained.
It is note
worthy that however these changes will present themselves it
should be
ultimately stimulating and rewarding. The new professionalism
according
to her means dynamic knowledge and skills with less emphasis on
basic
training and more on a changing repertoire of knowledge and
skill, also the
impact of external forces focused that is on the customer and
client rather
than on the professions, then the adherence to the values of the
local
authority as well as the professional bodies, and the authority
given to
those whom the profession serve rather than assume by
qualification alone.
As a result professional bodies take as their prime
responsibility the
monitoring, guarding and evaluation of quality standards. It is
within the
bodies self interest, therefore that the membership support this
fundamental attitude. Within this consideration, employers have
the right
to expect their employees to maintain acceptable levels of
professional
competence whilst the responsibility for undertaken CPD rests
with the
individual. The process must be a partnership between the
employer and the
employee.
She notes that in many organisations, more money is spent on
maintaining the efficiency of photocopiers than of staff. CPD
need not cost
a lot but it will definitely cost something. She noted that a
reasonable
staff development outlay for formal training is one percent of
annual
salary, many leading countries in UK spend up to 3 percent and
in Germany
up to 5 percent. This may seem a lot if you currently do not
have a
specific CPD or staff development budget. But even if money is
limited,
;much can be done by adopting a more positive attitude to
professional
development and by using work as a learning experience. The aim
should be
to have a systematic CPD programme and budget for all staff and
don't
forget your own CPD needs.
She continues and states that *quanters* for further action
should
include the professional bodies must continue their excellent
work as
standard bearers and they should have to bear in mind the
changing
environment and competitive markets, they must work in
partnership with
employers and ensure that in future CPD provision meets
employers needs
and ability to resource and that it meets the management
requirements of
the changing work environment. Also the local government
employers must
assess CPD within their overall training budgets and
assessments. They
must work together with the professional bodies to achieve the
best from
the partnership involved. Also they need to encourage their
employees to
take more responsibility for their own CPD and so on.
In relation to this study, this last observation that
employers need to
encourage their employees to take more responsibility for their
own CPD is
one that I would comment on in my conclusion.
2.4 Portfolio for Development
Maureen Redman
Maureen Redman in Portfolio for Development
(
Redman, W. 1994
) talks about
what a
portfolio is and how it links with current trend revolution
particularly in
the united kingdom with the national vocational qualification
(NVQ) The
book clearly show how portfolio can be used to develop
individuals themes
and the organisations, within an organisations' own training and
development programme. There are real life examples taken from
companies
and organisations which show the different ways of using
portfolio. It
also show the possible pit falls and highlight good practice.
I have used this book intensively to prepare the portfolio
that I have
been asked to do and I find the section dealing with the steps to
betaken
to prepare a portfolio and how to involve people at all levels
very useful
for my work.
2.5 Life Long
Learning
Christopher Bond
Bond C (1995) emphasised the importance of life long
learning.
Education according to Bond takes many forms and not just the
traditional
way which occurs in the first 20 years of life. Peter Criten
(1998)
writing on portfolio for development agrees with the above
statement that
the use of portfolio as a vehicle for recording evidence of an
individuals
continuing professional development is wide spread. The
portfolio he added
can be also used for exploring one's personal development.
"The pace of scientific, technological, social and political
change is now so rapid and intense that an initial period of
professional
or occupational training can only provide the foundation of
knowledge,
skills and attitude on which further development must be built,
if it is to
remain current."
Indeed the need for personal development cannot be over
emphasised as the
reasons are all around us. The rate at which technology is
developing is
so fast that one has to be aware of the issues involved as a
process of
professional development.
Bond also writes about the origins of portfolio and how it
has been
incorporated into personal development. he gave some uses to
which
professional portfolio can be used. For example:
to incurs self-confidence/self esteem
for personal competence/skills audit
as a bias for staff appraisal or peer review
as a tool for critically evaluating ones own practice.
According to Bond preparing a portfolio takes a lot of time,
it should
not be hurried, it should be a continuous ;process. The
portfolio needs to
be updated frequently because needs change constantly at he work
place.
Consequently, as noted Bond has worked with diverse range of
client
groups on portfolio and I am therefore inclined to accept his
findings that
individuals tend to be more motivated towards learning when they
are
managing and directing their own learning. Also because
individuals can
relate to clearly set and measurable outcomes, they are more
inclined to
put in more effort in ensuring the portfolio details are
constantly
updated. The two pilot group I worked with showed great
enthusiasm when we
discussed the formation of the portfolio.
I should however, state that in as much as I am in agreement
with the
above points, issues like the historical aspects of personal
development,
which should have explained why there is now so much interest in
both
personal and professional development was not mentioned by Bond.
I will
therefore be looking at Peter Critten's work from personal to
Professional
development creating space for growth.
2.6 National Training Policy
Rosemary Harrison
As part of my introduction to this work, I have used Rosemary
Harrison's Employee Development 1997
(
Harrison, R. 1997
). In part two
of her
book, the wider context,
she writes about the 1990's vision of national vocational
education and
training and national training policy.
You will see from table one that I have listed the seven aims
of the
national training policy. Harrison has brought a clear direction
to my
study in relation to CPD.
In addition,
"Career development has been defined as "an organised, planned
effort comprised of structured activities or processes that
result
in a mutual career plotting effort between employees and the
organisation"
(Gilley and Eggland,1989:49)."
Traditionally, the concept of "career" was one of upward movement
involving, therefore, as Sparrow and Hiltrop (1994:427) observed:
entry criteria linked to educational attainment or vocational
training
a planned structure of job experiences and promotional steps
progressive status and/or salary
membership of an external professional or occupational body
with its
own codes and cultures
This has reinforced my views that for an effective CPD, the
employee
should be actively listened to as she is an integral part of the
;process.
Indeed career development is a major part of the psychological
contact,
this therefore requires ........management and negotiation in
order to
achieve both the organisational and individual objective.
There is no shortage of advocacy of self development in HR
literature,
however, for an individual to take responsibility for their own
leaning
requires informed and objective assessment of the future skills
that will
be relevant to that individual