Professional development and CPD

Whether you're working towards professional registration, undertaking Initial Professional Development (IPD), or keen to demonstrate your Continuing Professional Development (CPD), we can help.

We’ve got advice and a suite of online tools to help you manage your career and demonstrate your progress.

As a member of the Institution, we’ll support you in your career progression and help you gain a competitive edge in the workplace. You’ll have access to our resources, advice and expertise as well as a network of similarly minded engineers. We’ll also keep you up-to-date with the latest trends and information within your industry.

  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

    CPD is a fundamental part of any career in engineering. From formal training to learning ‘on the job’, we can help you keep your skills up-to-date. You can use our online tool, Career Developer, to manage your professional development. You can use it to create goals, reports and action plans.

  • Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS)

    MPDS is an accredited company scheme which follows an agreed structured programme, which can facilitate developing engineers in reaching the competence requirements for registration.

  • Supported Registration Scheme (SRS)

    SRS is a non-accredited company scheme, which can support a developing engineer so they follow a structured development pathway, working with an internal company mentor.

  • Developing Engineers Programme

    The Developing Engineers Programme is designed specifically for Associate Members. It helps you to achieve professional registration as efficiently as possible. Using the programme gives you the tools, support and structure you need, in a format that fits around the demands of your current and future career.

  • Working towards professional registration

    Whether you’re a student, an apprentice or a practising engineer you will be increasing your experience and gaining competence. Initial Professional Development (IPD) allows you to build your competence profile and professional practice, ultimately leading up to your professional review interview and, if successful, to your registration as an EngTech, IEng or CEng. 

Career developer

    Career Developer is an online tool which helps you plan, record and review your experience throughout your career. It makes it easy for you to manage your professional development.

Go to Career developer

UK-SPEC 4th Edition

All applicants for registration with the Engineering Council (EngC) and membership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers are assessed against the standards as defined by EngC within the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). The 4th edition of the UK-SPEC was implemented from 31 December 2021, and is now the version of the standards used to assess applicants for registration. The 4th edition is available here.

Need some help?

If you have a question about MPDS, contact our MPDS team.

If you have a question about Initial Professional Development schemes, we'd like to hear from you.


Training to support your professional development

See all of our training courses