It was a statement I had expressed hundreds of times before, “continuous personal development (CPD) is fundamental in progression of not only your career, but also your life”.

I was speaking with a new group of Operations & Departmental Manager learners at a large company specialising in the oil and gas industry. These were people experienced in their fields and now being prepared for future career progression as managers through the apprenticeship levy. We spoke about how CPD was not only about work, but also how outside interests could also play a part in how they viewed their world in general.

"Everyday is an opportunity to learn something new, even if that is for our own journey and mental health."

I have recently started a bee keeping course, firstly to build on my hobby of producing delicious and natural treats for the home (I produced my first batch of cider last autumn), and secondly, to carry on my own yearning to continuously learn new skills. Whilst neither of these learning experiences are directly linked to my work, I do bring my newly acquired learning into my training and to demonstrate areas such as supply chain management and entrepreneurial mindset. Everyday is an opportunity to learn something new, even if that is for our own journey and mental health.

So I was surprised this morning to come across some information which prompted me to put fingers to keyboard (whatever happened to pen to paper?)

People aged 30 to 44 spend just nine minutes a day on average on improving their qualifications. And for people aged 45 to 64, the figure is even lower — only four minutes.

"For me, CPD narrows the gap between what we know and what we don’t know that we don’t know!"

It appears that we give little thought to our own personal development, but why? Whether it is furthering our career possibilities, or moving our business forward, it is my belief that CPD is key to personal growth. I see this daily with apprentices of all ages, I witness their growth and how they increase their understanding of the world around them. For me, CPD narrows the gap between what we know and what we don’t know that we don’t know!

As someone who went back to academia after being in business for over twenty years, probably the biggest lesson I took away with me was that if we want to create new, innovative and impactful ventures, then we had better have a wider contextual view of the world around us. That view can only be enhanced by learning new skills and having an understanding of the skills we do not have, or are unable to attain, therefore bringing them in from the outside. That allows us to join the entrepreneurial dots and see what others cannot.

So how is your CPD? Will it allow you to move forward and grow? Even a small amount on a regular basis can make a lasting impact and as we all know, there is no better time than NOW to begin.

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