Examples of cpd activities

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities can include anything that develops your skills, knowledge and experience, at work and in your community.

If you're professionally registered with us, we strongly recommend that you undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The activities you undertake depend on where you are in your career and what you’re looking to achieve.

What counts as CPD?

You could do some CPD activities with us, for example, chairing a committee, or delivering an evening lecture. You could record specialist technical training, management and leadership skills, discussions with peers, personal development and informal or on-the-job learning.

You may already be doing things in your community that count towards CPD, such as being a school governor or organising a local fundraising event.

There are no specific rules. Your choice of activities, duration and quantity are whatever you feel are necessary for you to achieve your own CPD development goals.

Whether or not you work in an organisation which offers formal development plans, there are a range of activities that you can record and count as CPD. Everything must be logged using your online CPD tools in our professional development portal Career developer.

The competence matrix

On this page you’ll find ideas of the sort of things you may consider doing in the table below, mapped against the specific competences of UK-SPEC. Use them to enhance your CPD and enrich your professional life.

Competence A

Institution activities	Other activities
Attending specialist Institution technical events	Attending specialist technical events
Being on an Institution Division or Group committee	Organising a technical conference
Organising a seminar or other technical event	Applying for a patent
Contributing to journals	Researching a technical subject to increase your knowledge
Reading journals to keep up to date	Writing/publishing technical papers
Editing a journal	Undertaking a placement at work in a different technical area to increase the breadth of technical skills
Reviewing papers for journals	Reviewing papers for technical publication
Any Institution activities increasing your technical knowledge	Any activities increasing your technical knowledge

Competence B

Institution activities	Other activities
Attending technical events, evening lectures, seminars etc	Writing/publishing technical papers
Presenting at technical events	Attending technical events, evening lectures, seminars etc
Volunteering at Formula Student and other Institution Divisions and Groups activities	Presenting at technical events/conferences
Attending a technical specialist course e.g. ‘Railway Fleet Maintenance’	Attending a technical specialist course
Contributing to Journals	Undertaking a technical qualification
Any IMechE activities increasing your technical knowledge	Any activities increasing your technical knowledge

Competence C

Institution activities	Other activities
Chairing an Institution committee	Taking on a leadership role such as being a local councillor or School Governor
Leading a technical event	Having budget responsibility for a local group, such as Treasurer for Photographic Society
Attending a leadership/management course	Attending a leadership/management course
Any activities within the Institution that give opportunities to develop your commercial and technical leadership	Supporting course development for Educational establishments
	Any activities giving opportunities to develop your commercial and technical leadership

Competence D

Institution activities	Other activities
Presenting at a seminar or evening event	Public speaking – through political bodies, speaking organisations such as Toastmasters.org etc
Carrying out Professional Review Interviews	Committee roles in your community – church, school, subject groups etc
Being an Industrial or Academic Liaison Officer (ILO/ALO)	Organising local events – such as fetes, carnivals, fundraising events etc
Any Institution activities where you can develop or demonstrate your interpersonal skills	Coaching your staff at work
	Any activities where you can develop or demonstrate your interpersonal skills

Competence E

Institution activities	Other activities
STEM Ambassador activities	Running an after school club
Mentoring young engineers	Discussing ethical issues with colleagues
MPDS Mentoring	Taking on a role as ‘5S Champion’ or implementing environmental awareness schemes at work or in the community
Volunteering for Professional Review Interviews	Supporting The Big Bang events
Being an Industrial or Academic Liaison Officer (ILO/ALO)	Any community activities contributing to society
Supporting Imagineering events
Any Institution activities contributing to society

Career developer – My CPD tools

Located within Career developer, our CPD tools can help you record your experience, professional activity and create a strong framework for career progression.

Existing users

New users

If you've not already registered, you'll need to create a profile to get started.

Create your profile

Need some help?

If you have a question about how we can help you maintain your Continuing Professional Development, contact us.

cpd@imeche.org