CPD Vision
In this section, we explain what CPD is, what it is not and how you can benefit. What counts as eligible CPD sets out the different types of CPD and relates to the different drop down boxes on the page where you can record your own activity. The TMI CPD Vision and CPD Business Plan set out our ambitions for TMI and its members and will be reviewed as we go forward as the destination management section of the Tourism Society.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is:
- A personal commitment to keeping your professional knowledge up to date and improving your capabilities - helping you to be an even better professional.
- Focussed on what you learn and how you develop throughout your career.
- Focussed on the individual, so you decide what, when and how much you do.
- Formal learning – courses, qualifications
- Professional learning – conferences, seminars, coaching, mentoring, networking, taking part in working groups
- Informal learning – reading, keeping up to date
Continuing Professional Development is not:
- Imposed on you from above or outside – you decide what you want to do.
- Hard work – you’re probably already doing CPD, perhaps without realising it
- Please click the link for more information on what counts as CPD.
How will you benefit from CPD?
These are just some of the ways – no doubt you can think of some others
- Commitment to your own CPD will give you greater job satisfaction.
- New and improved skills mean tricky tasks become easier.
- Increased skills, knowledge and confidence in your professional abilities
- Employers will be more likely to recognise your talents.
- Enhance your CV and really show what you can do, so when you’re next looking for a promotion, salary increase or new job, you’ll be at the front of the queue.
How will you benefit from the TMI web site?
It will help you keep track of your CPD activity:
- Books and journals you read
- Courses you’ve been on
- Informal CPD you’ve been doing, like coaching a colleague, leading a workshop or taking part in a working group.
- What your key learning points have been
- How you plan to apply them
So when it’s time for your annual appraisal, to apply for a new job or update your CV, you’ve got all the information at your fingertips, just by logging into your own CPD record on the TMI web site. More importantly, at the end of the year, you can look back and see how far you’ve come, how much you’ve achieved.
What counts as eligible Continuing Professional Development Activity?
TMI recognises a variety of CPD activities, which fall broadly into three categories: structured professional learning, work based professional development and unstructured professional development activity.
Structured professional learning includes:
- Attending seminars, courses or workshops, including on-line and CD-ROM based courses (e.g. taking part in VocMat pilot, or EUTO Annual Study Visit)
- Continuing education leading to qualifications (part time, full time, distance learning)
- Long term research projects (6 months+)
Work based professional development includes:
- Attending networking events(e.g. TMI regional meetings)
- Attending conferences (e.g. TMI Annual Convention)
- Staff training, preparation of training materials
- Coaching/mentoring
- Preparation/presentation of papers for conferences, meetings or publication
- Active participation in TMI or other destination management related working groups
- Work shadowing, secondments, on-the-job training
Unstructured professional development includes:
- Private study (e.g. reading destination management related books, on-line research, reading destination management/tourism journals and periodicals)
- Attending exhibitions relevant to destination management
- Submitting responses to TMI member consultations
If you think there are other types of activity or specific resources which TMI should consider as contributing to members’ CPD, then please contact Cathy Guthrie.
