Colt International Ltd - Colt CPD Programme reaches major milestone

More than 2,000 people have taken part in Colt International’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme. This impressive figure is the result of the company running more than 180 CPD events over the last two years.Colt’s CPD programme comprises five seminars:
• Smoke control systems
• Car park ventilation and smoke ventilation using shafts
• Water source heat pump systems
• Solar shading systems
• Louvre systems.
Each is aimed at architects, consulting engineers and M&E contractors, and each lasts for about one hour.
Simon Long, associate director of building services consultant WSP, has attended the two smoke control seminars. He said: “I found Colt’s CPD programme both useful and informative. The technical content provides an excellent grounding in the subject and should appeal to all consulting engineering levels. The seminars address the key issues and cover particularly important aspects, such as standards and legislation in some detail.
“I was impressed at how the information was presented. It was offered in a digestible, easy to understand format. An added benefit was that Colt agreed to provide one of the seminars in our office, meaning we could involve a number of our engineers -without affecting deadlines and workload.”
The programme is delivered under the aegis of the Construction CPD Certification Service, an independent body operating across all market sectors and in support of professional institutions. The Service assists in the dissemination of independently certified CPD programmes throughout a wide range of industry sectors.
The Government defines CPD as: “The holistic commitment to structured skills enhancement and personal or professional competence.”
CPD seminars offer a range of advantages to both employees and employers.
For employees, they help to:
• Ensure that building services professionals offer the most effective service to their clients
• Improve their long-term career prospects and enhance professional standing
• Provide documented evidence of an individual’s commitment to their chosen profession and of their continued competence
• Offer a reference document for use both in updating a CV and in recalling details of topics studied, as well as for use with appraisals and interviews
• Promote best practice in a potentially litigious climate.
For the employer, the fact that CPD programmes help ensure that professionals are capable, competent and well trained will help to improve service provision.

Email: simon.ohea@uk.coltgroup.com