Continuing professional development or CPD, is imperative to ensuring your knowledge and technical skills as an engineer are optimised and up-to-date.
Keeping up with your CPD requirements also ensures your Engineers Australia Chartered or NER credentials stay valid.
What is CPD?CPD is any sort of training or learning that helps to expand your knowledge, maintain your technical skills and progress your engineering career. Good CPD should help you to:
maintain your technical competenceretain and enhance your workplace effectivenesslearn good leadership skills and how to mentor otherssuccessfully deal with career challengesbetter serve the community.CPD hour requirements for Chartered and NERIf you鈥檙e working towards or have Chartered or NER credentials, then CPD is very important. To get or keep these credentials, you need to complete at least 150 hours of professional development activities every three years.
If you work in one area of practice, breakdown of the specific hour requirement is as follows:
50 hours must relate to your area of practice10 hours must cover risk management15 hours must be about business and management skills75 hours must cover a range of activities relevant to your career interests.More than one area of practiceIf you work in more than one area of practice or area of engineering then you must record at least 50 hours for each area across the three-year period. If technical CPD activities overlap, then the same hours can be used for each area of practice.
For example, if you are Chartered or Registered for both civil and structural areas of practice or areas of engineering, the hour requirement would be broken down as follows:
50 hours to civil area of practice50 hours to structural area of practice10 hours for risk management15 hours for business and management skills40 hours for any other CPD activities.If you鈥檙e an engineering academic or teacher, you must also demonstrate at least 40 hours of industry involvement in each three-year period.
These are the minimum requirements to keep your credentials. Of course the more CPD you do, the more you build a competitive knowledge base and skill set to benefit your career.
Career break provisionsFlexibility in the hour requirement is available if you鈥檝e had a career break of six months or more during a three-year period, for one of the following reasons:
serious illnessparental leaveextended travelcaring for family membersinvoluntary unemploymentelite sporting or cultural pursuits.If you鈥檝e had a career break or need to take one, you can complete your 150 hours over a five-year period instead.
Types of CPDCPD can be taken in many ways including formal, structured learning as well as private study. Engineers Australia has conditions around the types of CPD you complete towards your continued membership. CPD can be:
any tertiary course taken as an individual course or for a formal post-graduate awardshort courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, technical inspections and meetingsworkplace learning activities that extend competence in your area of practice or area of engineeringprivate study that extends your knowledge and skillservice to the engineering professionpreparation and presentation of materials for courses and conferencestertiary teaching or academic research structured activities that meet the objectives of the CPD policy.Learn more about CPD types and conditions.
Engineers Australia CPDAs Australia鈥檚 largest peak body for engineers, Engineers Australia has a comprehensive program of CPD for our members. Through your membership you can access:
Engineers Australia鈥檚 exclusive tertiary and short coursesa suite of online resources including on-demand training, webinars and collaboration toolsa comprehensive events calendar with access to the latest engineering seminars, conferences and technical presentationsan online library stocked with engineering resources from around the world, including policy publications, papers, magazines and technical journalsprofessional networking groups that allow you to connect with peers locally and nationallyvolunteer opportunities with us.Login to your EA portal account to record your CPD. Go to the MyEA tile or tab and select Record CPD.
If you have any questions about CPD or membership, please contact us.