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Maintaining Your Competence

Maintaining and developing your competence through continuing professional development (CPD) is important at all stages of your career, to ensure that you remain competent and employable and to protect the safety of all those who use and work on railways worldwide

It is appropriate for all professional engineers and technicians, wherever they live in the world. The IRSE expects all members to maintain their own competence and help others to do so, as detailed in the IRSE CPD policy and in IRSE CPD Guidance (see document library below).

IRSE members are expected to maintain and develop their professional competence and support others to do so

The IRSE Professional Code of Conduct states "You shall... Maintain and develop your professional competence, knowledge and skills by attention to existing and new developments in science and engineering relevant to your field of professional activity, through planned continuous professional development throughout your working life..." And "You shall... Encourage and assist others to develop their railway signal, telecommunications, train control and traffic management engineering competence, knowledge and skills..."

IRSE recommends that you use MyCareerPath for all your CPD records

IRSE recommends that you use the Engineering Council database MyCareerPath to record your CPD plans, activities and reflections - this is free to all IRSE members

Your CPD records are required for IRSE membership and professional registration applications

As part of your applications for membership and/or professional registration, you will be asked for your CPD records, including evidence of planning, recording and reflecting. These may be discussed in your professional registration interview, if you are called for one

CPD is a requirement of professional registration with the Engineering Council

Those who are professionally registered as Engineering Technicians (EngTech), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) or Chartered Engineers (CEng) through the UK's Engineering Council are reminded that recording evidence of their CPD is a requirement of their professional registration

Professionally active registrants who persistently do not respond to or engage with requests for CPD records by the IRSE risk removal from the register

CPD activities can include.... events

IRSE provides events such as local technical meetings and visits, presidential technical papers which are live-streamed and recorded, international conventions, seminars and conferences. Many presentations are recorded and available on our Vimeo channel https://vimeo.com/irse

CPD activities can include.... self learning

We have a monthly technical journal IRSE News containing technical papers and industry news

We have our own archive at head office and our members can use the IET library at Savoy Place, London, by appointment

The IRSE professional examination enables people to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a broad range of technical and operational subjects relevant to train control and communications systems engineering and management

The IRSE publishes textbooks (discounts for IRSE members) available through our online shop

CPD activities can include.... academic study of appropriate subjects

Many academic courses are run through distance or e-learning to enable you to study and work

CPD activities can include.... attending and/or running training courses

The Minor Railways Section hold annual training workshops for those working in S&T maintenance on minor and heritage railways

The Younger Members' Section organise revision sessions for those interested in, and sitting, the IRSE professional examination

All these events are announced on the IRSE events page

CPD activities can include.... voluntary activities

Voluntary work can give you some experiences that you might not get within a work environment

Pass on your knowledge and enthusiasm for engineering to students, their teachers and parents through STEM and STEAM activities
Join your local IRSE Section committee, the Minor Railways Section committee or the Younger Members committee
Pass on your signalling knowledge to IRSE professional exam students by helping the Younger Members Section teach / run a study workshop, day or session
Help run an international conference or convention
Join one of the IRSE main committees (detailed in our Annual Report)
Take on a responsible voluntary role within your community

ICPD activities can include.... work experience

Relevant work experience can be invaluable to develop your knowledge, experience and competency

you may be able to shadow a senior manager / engineer for a short period
you may be able to take on additional responsibility, with support
return to work days after a long period of absence may provide additional opportunities to see roles and responsibilities beyond your own

Your professional competence is your own. To maintain and develop it is your responsibility and your investment in your current and future career. The IRSE expects all members to maintain their own competence and help others to do so. The IRSE recommend that you use MyCareerPath to plan, record, reflect and review your CPD activities.