What is Continuing Professional Development?
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the purposeful maintenance and improvement of a professional’s knowledge and skills to remain competent in their chosen profession for the benefit of themselves, their employers or customers and the wider profession. CPD is recognised as a commitment to being professional, keeping up to date and continuously seeking to improve.
CPD is intended to encourage the development of professionals so that they reflect on their performance and its quality, are able to adopt and assess new approaches and develop better ways of working as a result.
The BPAA CPD acknowledges varying learning styles among professionals and includes a wide range of formal and informal learning activities.
The key principles behind CPD are that it:
• Is self-directed
• Is based on learning needs identified by the individual
• Builds on an individual’s existing knowledge and experience
• Links an individual’s learning to their work
• Includes an evaluation of the individual’s development
What activities can be included in CPD?
Currently there are no compulsory or regulatory activities for plumbing or backflow prevention CPD. There are also no particular restrictions on the types or number of activities that may be included as CPD.
The BPAA expects only that the CPD is relevant to the backflow tester’s every day work and that the activities undertaken meet the individual learning needs of the plumber.
Possible CPD activities may include, but are not limited to:
• Undertaking supervised training for skills development
• Writing or reviewing educational materials, journal articles, books
• Active membership of professional groups and committees
• Reading professional journals or books
• Writing for publication
• Developing Standards, protocols or guidelines
• Attending technical product training seminars
- Undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate studies which are of relevance to the context of plumbing
• Presenting at or attending conferences, lectures, seminars or professional meetings
CPD activities may be undertaken in a range of ways including: self-directed, workplace based or through seminars, conferences or formal programs offered by professional organisations and education providers.
The important point is that the activities are relevant to the individual backflow tester’s employment and are able to meet their learning needs.
Your CPD activity sheets will be required to be sent to the Secretary on a quarterly basis.
Application and recognition of Continuing Professional Development will be annual to align with other similar organizations.
In order to obtain recognition for the required accreditation certificate, individual members are required to have accumulated a minimum of 20 points including reading time of 4 hours in the annual period.
Members should fill out an activity sheet (template below) and submit themquarterly. Corporate member employees can use the relevant parts of the program to assist with their own professional CPD programs.
All members are encouraged to participate in order to improve, not only their own recognition, but also the standing of the Backflow Prevention Association of Australia as the leading authority for professional services and advice on backflow prevention and cross connection control.
It costs nothing more than:
In general, spending a few extra hours of your time annually in continuing learning by attending lectures conducted by our own association and other accepted organisations and by reading appropriate journals. We are also planning to introduce specific training days and manufacturer technical training courses.
What, how and when do you need to submit your application?
- You must have a minimum of twenty (20) points of recognised activities for the participating year to qualify.
- For your first application year you must provide copies of three (3) test reports, prepared by you for your clients.
- For every consecutive year there after you must provide one (1) report. These reports can be submitted on your letter head.
Confidentiality:
The reports you submit will be treated confidentially and will be destroyed after review by the assessment committee. If you choose, you may delete any reference to client name and address.
The assessment committee:
The CPD program assessment committee comprises the president (chair) and seconded committee members as deemed necessary dependent on number of applications. Applications are to be made on the prescribed form recording the activities claimed by you.
Benefits of the Programme:
Successful applicants will be issued with their new CPD Certificate by post or at the annual conference.
Once certified the post nominals BPAA-CPT can be used by you to indicate your status as a Certified Practicing Tester. This can be used in your advertising and correspondence.
As the professional responsible for public health and water quality you are obliged to continue to develop your skills and stay at the forefront of the industry. By participating in the BPAA CPD Programme you show your customers that you are a professional.
For further information please contact the secretary via email. bpaaoffice@bpaa.org.au
Figure 1
CPD Point Allocation
