Overview

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a cornerstone of professional growth for engineers, yet many early-career professionals struggle with how to approach it in a structured and meaningful way. In this webinar hosted by the IChemE National Early Careers Group (NECG), participants will gain practical insights into how to move beyond viewing CPD as a checklist and instead use it as a strategic tool for long-term career development.

Peter Coutts will share practical guidance on how to identify meaningful CPD objectives and translate them into an actionable and sustainable development plan. Through real examples, he will demonstrate how everyday professional experiences (eg projects, challenges, and learning opportunities) can be intentionally reflected upon and distilled into valuable CPD outcomes. The session will also explore how engineers can recognise and capture learning from their day-to-day work, ensuring that professional development is not only recorded but also consciously leveraged to build skills, competence, and confidence over time.

Drawing on his own career journey, Peter will reflect on how he progressed from working without a structured CPD plan to recognising the value of deliberate professional development. In his capacity as Lead CPD Assessor for IChemE, he continues to help others navigate and strengthen their own CPD pathways.

Speaker

Peter Coutts, Lead Continuing Professional Development Assessor for IChemE

Peter is the lead continuing professional development assessor for IChemE. He is a chartered engineer, chartered scientist and a fellow of IChemE. In this voluntary role, he leads a team of around 20 assessors to ensure compliance with the continuous professional development requirements of the various registrations which include the Engineering Council (UK), Science Council (UK), Society for the Environment (UK), and the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (Australia).

He is a senior associate process engineer with Mott MacDonald, an employee-owned global engineering, management and development consultancy where he specialises in water and wastewater treatment.

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the National Early Careers Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

14:00–15:00 BST.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.