When preparing a smart training plan think about your future goals and career plans, as well as your current role. Planning for where you want to be and thinking about how you're going to get there is just as important as 'fire-fighting'.
Identify your knowledge gaps
What is expected of you in your current role - can you meet these expectations? Do you need training to be more effective in these areas?
Have you recently had a performance review? How are you contributing to your organisation's targets this year? What are your immediate goals? Will you be taking on new areas of responsibility, and will you need training in these areas?
How has the marketplace changed? Are your job requirements changing? Will you need to branch out into new areas? Have new opportunities presented themselves, and what will you need to take advantage of these?
What are your personal goals/career plans? Would you like to move into a new area of work, and will you need more training or a further qualification? Would you like to move into Management/Senior Management, and what would you need in order to do this?
Identify activities that will fill these knowledge gaps
Think in broad terms about activities that would help you with your plans. Some of these might include:
- Training courses delivered by experts outside of the workplace
- Training courses delivered by your own organisation
- 'On-the-job' training
- Conferences
- Additional qualifications
- Mentoring schemes
- Structured discussion groups ('think-tanks')
- Networking events
- Self-directed learning (distance courses, reading)
- Multi-media learning (online courses, CD-ROM)
How will your selected activities meet the needs you have already identified? Is there a more appropriate activity? How long will the training take, and how will you find the time? What do you hope to have learned by the end of the training? How will you measure how effective this training has been?
How can ICAI help?
ICAI has a huge range of CPD courses, conferences, post-qualification programmes, online eCPD courses, and networking events every year.
But then, you probably knew that already!
What you might not have been aware of however, is how we are trying to help make these activities more affordable so that members can maintain their CPD throughout the credit crunch:
- A 10% discount for all ICAI members applies to classroom-based CPD courses
- An additional €100/£70 CPD credit was announced by Chief Executive, Pat Costello, in January - all members who renew their subscription can avail of this credit against a regular classroom-based CPD course of their choice
- CPD training tickets offer up to 44% discount on regular course fees
- In-company training provides a cost-effective solution when training groups of staff
- Unemployed members can attend classroom-based CPD courses free of charge (certain restrictions apply)
- Members in receipt of a reduced subscription can avail of a reduced rate on classroom-based CPD courses
For more information on CPD courses, events and activities please visit www.icai.ie/cpd