• Career Development
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Career Management
• Coaching service
• Competence maintenance
• Careers in financial services

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Free online access to myCPD for ifs alumni and members

What is CPD?

CPD demonstrates continued learning, which enables you to take control of your career, provides valuable evidence of staying competent and encourages the development of new skills. It is about seeking to increase your knowledge and professionalism and always being ready to learn new ways of becoming more efficient and more effective.

CPD is:

• Continuing because learning is an ongoing process whether at work, home or even when engaged in outside interests;
• Professional because it focuses on the skills and expertise which are relevant to your professional role;
• Development because you are taking responsibility for your own learning to expand your knowledge, maintain confidence and credibility and enhance your career progression.

Who should use CPD?

Everybody will benefit from undertaking CPD and the ifs School of Finance framework and its associated formal recognition of your planned learning and development are provided to you free as a member.

Why should you use CPD?

Continuing Professional Development will:

• Provide you with the opportunity to take control of your own development;
• Provide a structured framework that allows you to make informed decisions about your future;
• Increase your personal employability both internally and externally;
• Demonstrate to your employer your commitment to continued learning;
• Provide your customers with the reassurance that, as a financial service professional, you continue to maintain your knowledge and skills.

What are the requirements?

CPD is more about the benefits of learning and development than simply accumulating hours.  However, the ifs recommends that you undertake at least 12 hours knowledge up-dating per year with a minimum of seven hours logged in categories 1, 2 and/or 3.

Staying on track

The ifs School of Finance is committed to helping you progress your CPD and we do this in a number of ways:

• A CPD help line: +44 (0) 1227 818609;
• Examples of completed CPD records and case studies;
• Online KnowledgeBank at www.myifslearning.com;
• Seminars, events, local centres and Executive Education are all eligible for CPD;
• Wide range of qualifications at all levels which are eligible for CPD;
• Free access to www.myifslearning.com;

CPD categories and examples

CPD activities can cover a wide range of learning experiences and some examples of acceptable activities are listed, by category, below.

1. Further qualifications/distance learning eg higher or first degrees, distance learning courses
2. Short courses eg company in-house training and development courses, ifs Executive Education
3. Management development eg in house 'fast track programmes'
4. Imparting knowledge eg ifs Academic Associate, coaching/mentoring, industry published articles
5. Conferences, exhibitions and seminars eg organised by ifs or other work related organisation
6. Meetings eg attendance at ifs regional network CPD events or at other institutes' CPD events
7. Committee work eg ifs regional networks, other financial services or trade organisations
8. Private study eg learning new skills, acquiring new knowledge, improving performance

Starting CPD

If you are already a member, log in to start using myCPD. Alternatively, find out how to join as a member.

Telephone: +44 (0) 1227 818601
Fax: +44 (0) 1227 453547
Email: cpd@ifslearning.ac.uk