The Nuclear Institute is introducing the mycareerpath® Professional Development System for NI members, an online tool which is designed for professionals who want to enhance their careers.
It will allow all NI members to record activities and experiences that contribute to their professional development throughout the year and reflect upon how this learning has helped them.
The tool can also be used to build evidence for applications to professional chartership with the Engineering Council and Science Council, as well as the four different grades of professional membership at the NI.
Anna Wright, Nuclear Institute Operations Manager, said: "Professional development is essential for anyone who is trying to make or develop a career for themselves, especially in a competitive environment. We are really excited to offer the mycareerpath® system to all our members, which will help them to make professional development plans and map their progress as they grow in their careers. We hope many of them will take up the opportunity to use it and see the benefits for themselves."
From 2015 it will be mandatory for all NI professional registered members to submit continuing professional development (CPD) declarations.
The tool is available for members to start using now and the NI is encouraging members to get into the habit of logging CPD throughout the year. This will assist with year end CPD submission and help with future planning.
The mycareerpath® online tool was developed by the Engineering Council and is accessible by desktop, table and smart phone.
Other features allow users to create plans, upload evidence, and generate reports to send to mentors, colleagues or professional institutions for online review.
A short step-by-step guide is available on the NI website to assist members in setting up their profile.
To set up your profile and start recording, please visit: www.nuclearinst.com/mycareerpath
Please note, you will need your member login details to access the mycareerpath® tool. Please do contact us if you need a username or password reminder.
More about Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in 2015
An essential part of any career is professional development. This is not just about technical skills, but also about the non-technical aspects of our working lives. It is a rapidly changing world that we live and work in. Keeping up to date with technical developments is vital to all professionals. So too is the need to exhibit inter-personal, presentational and managerial transferable skills for meeting modern professional expectations.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is vital for all nuclear professionals whatever their age or status. There should be a seamless transition between initial development and continuing development after admission to membership and it is also a requirement for maintaining registration with the Engineering Council and Science Council. However, it need not be onerous and, with a bit of pre planning, can become a natural part of your working life.
A key part of CPD is reflection – thinking about what you have learnt from the activities you carried out, and how these can help you in your professional work, as shown in the diagram below.
There are many ways to carry out CPD. Many can be at or around your current role and organisation; attending training courses and events, such as those the Nuclear Institute offer, learning and implementing new skills and new approaches. However, many others can be in the additional, voluntary activities that you carry out.
Volunteering offers many benefits, not just in adding to your CPD record. These include widening your contact base, gaining essential career experience, developing valuable job skills and simply giving something back. Now is a key time for the industry and you can do your bit to maintain its success. Volunteering does not need to be time consuming but is very rewarding. The Nuclear Institute has many volunteering opportunities to choose from.
Visit the Get Involved section of our website to read more about the Nuclear Institute’s varied volunteering opportunities