CPD provider approval is important because it helps build trust, improve reputation and ensure participants get an accredited learning experience. Your training organisation has been approved as a CPD provider. It meets recognised standards of quality and relevancy in delivering professional development, ensuring that the training is credible, up-to-date, and industry-appropriate. This blog aims to highlight the main benefits of being an approved CPD provider and its impact on the provider and the participant.
What is CPD Provider Approval?
Definition of CPD Provider Approval:
CPD provider approval refers to subjecting training organisations to a thorough assessment by CPD accreditation bodies to ensure their courses align with professional development standards. The certifications guarantee that the training is up to date with the latest industry standards related to the current job market and help deliver desired outcomes for those undergoing training.
The CPD Approval Process:
Organisations are asked to submit their training programmes for review to gain approval as an official CPD provider. This usually involves sending a course outline, including the training methods and delivery formats. This information will be assessed against certain criteria, including educational quality, relevance and measurable learning outcomes. In some cases, organisations will need to show ongoing compliance after initially earning approval by demonstrating continued high-quality training and adapting to changes in their industry.
Why CPD Provider Approval is Important:
Because CPD provider approval signifies that the training meets a set of quality standards, participants can trust that these approved programmes have been evaluated and found to offer value to them. The programmes are based on timely and relevant content for their professional needs. Given the importance professional staff place on CPD, CPD-approved programmes are more likely to attract professionals and organisations to train with them. These programmes can then grow and have a greater impact on their profession.
Increased Credibility and Trust
Building a Reputable Brand:
CPD provider approval adds to the credibility of a training organisation. It demonstrates that the provider is willing to comply with industry standards for professional development and provide quality professional learning to those participating in its programmes. Accreditation becomes a mark of legitimacy that allows the organisation to establish its credibility and trustworthiness better.
Gaining Client and Participant Trust:
CPD approval means more to the client and the attendees, as they can be assured that the training is not only of good quality but also that the relevant professional body recognises it. Trainers prefer ‘accredited’ training because there is clarity about learning outcomes, and the chances are that it will probably assist with career progression. The result is greater confidence in the provider, engagement, and retention.
Standing Out from Competitors:
CPD approval differentiates a training provider from competitors in a crowded market. Many training providers offer similar courses, but CPD accreditation demonstrates that the course is delivered to a higher standard and can be relied upon. This gives a provider a competitive edge, making attracting professionals and companies searching for verified, industry-recognised training easier.
Access to a Wider Audience
Appeal to Professionals Seeking Accredited CPD:
Many professionals must engage in CPD activities to renew certification licences or meet industry compliance. CPD provider approval means they’ll come to your events because approved training demonstrates that the programme content is relevant to their specific needs and that they can use the training to re-credential.
Increased Enrollment and Participation:
Becoming a CPD-approved provider is, in turn, a strong predictor of enrolment. Accredited programmes are more likely to be chosen by practitioners because they are vetted, and they are more likely to offer the type of educational experiences that respond to the needs of practitioners. Further, individuals are more likely to participate in CPD-approved courses than non-CPD-approved courses, especially when they are mandated to do so and especially when required to do so as a condition of employment or some form of career advancement.
Partnership Opportunities with Organisations:
For many companies, CPD is a mandatory part of employees’ working day. Some professional bodies or industry sectors mandate CPD, while others require CPD to meet compliance requirements. If an organisation is CPD-approved, this opens up partnerships with other organisations looking for trusted CPD providers to deliver employee training. This not only increases the number of enrolments but also enables the provider to become known as an expert in CPD across the industry.
Ensuring Quality and Consistency in Training
Standardised Approach to Training:
The structured and systematic approach to designing and delivering training required to gain CPD provider approval ensures that training providers who have achieved this approval have a greater capacity for consistency. For this reason, approved CPD providers must ensure that their programs adhere to an established industry standard and that courses in their suite meet the same rigorous quality thresholds. This helps to make training modules relatively uniform and ensures that every participant in a course, regardless of when or where it is undertaken, gets the same quality learning experience. Consistency also enhances the quality of the training provider’s brand because when participants know that they’re going to get reliable, well-structured training from a relevant and meaningful provider, it strengthens their perception of the provider.
Continuous Improvement:
CPD approval processes usually include periodic compliance ‘checks’ whereby providers must make certain course updates or improvements at periodic intervals. For example, if the industry evolves, with new technologies, practices, or regulations coming onto the scene, approved providers may be asked to update their courses to include these. This process then keeps courses current as the industry evolves and keeps the provider organisation ‘on its toes’ regarding the need to stay ahead of industry developments to remain accredited.
Feedback and Evaluation Processes:
Some CPD accreditation bodies require providers to develop formal feedback systems to solicit participant insights. While evaluation is often seen as an afterthought, it’s crucial for quality assurance in CPD programmes. Feedback from participants helps course providers identify course components needing improvement, which helps them iteratively adjust their programmes. CPD providers open to listening to what participants say and learning from their experiences ensure that their training programmes stay effective, relevant and engaging for professionals on the ground. Furthermore, these evaluation processes have helped improve the quality of courses while increasing participant satisfaction.
Boosting Professional Recognition for Participants
Enhanced Value for Participants:
Those who end a course with a CPD provider accredited by the professional body will have access to training with more ‘currency’ in their particular sector. Accreditation signals that the programme has met certain professional standards, which makes the training more valuable and credible to employers and industry bodies. This can give participants a real edge, as accredited CPD courses tend to be seen by employers and others as an indicator of professionalism, commitment to development, and a mark of a high-quality learning programme. For participants, it’s a sign that their time and effort invested in the programme will be valued.
Supporting Professional Development and Compliance:
Professionals are often obligated to participate in CPD to remain certified or licensed or to comply with regulatory requirements, such as in the healthcare, legal and finance sectors. Approved CPD providers enable participants to meet mandatory development requirements for regulatory purposes, offering accredited courses that adhere to prescribed CPD criteria. Specifically, accredited CPD programmes help professionals attain certifications or progress to higher levels by equipping them with the skills or knowledge accepted by their field/industry.
Providing Trackable and Verifiable Progress:
Another significant advantage of a course with an accredited CPD provider is that it allows for demonstration of progress. CPD-accredited providers issue certificates or other forms of verifiable evidence of participation that the participant can use to demonstrate their learning. For professionals who must demonstrate continuing education or wish to demonstrate their learning to a current or prospective employer, the fact that the learning can be documented and verified adds further value to their participation in the course.
Marketing and Promotional Advantages
Promote CPD Accreditation:
Being accredited as an approved CPD provider is a powerful marketing differentiator. Courses accredited for CPD are a strong selling point for anyone looking for high-quality, credible training and a powerful signal to potential customers that an organisation has met certain standards. This accreditation is a quality stamp that potential trainees can trust. Accreditation is reflected in marketing materials, websites, and communications.
Increased Visibility and SEO Benefits:
CPD provider approval can help to elevate the credibility of an organisation online. As many people search for accredited CPD programs, accreditation as a CPD provider is likely to increase search engine rankings, which in turn can generate more traffic for the provider’s website and enrolments. Furthermore, accreditation can help an organisation enhance its digital marketing since customers are more inclined to trust an organisation that has had its work endorsed by an outside body. There is plenty of competition in CPD markets, and quality and trust are important selling points for customers.
Leveraging CPD Approval in Partnerships and Collaborations:
Those approved providers are far more likely to attract partnerships or collaborations with other organisations, trade bodies, corporations and institutions. Accreditation is a quality mark that corporates and institutions are increasingly looking for in professional development partners. This can lead to new opportunities, such as developing joint programmes, delivering corporate CPD to staff, or working with industry associations to develop accredited learning pathways. CPD approval can help secure partnerships, demonstrating a commitment to delivering high-quality, industry-recognised training.
Conclusion
CPD provider approval increases trust, widens the potential audience, and guarantees that the training is standardised, consistent, and quality. This will help participants to gain recognition as professionals and is a key marketing advantage for providers.
It makes sense for training providers to pursue CPD approval, doing so will signal a desire to broaden their client base and raise their profile in the marketplace. Does your training qualify for CPD approval? Then, begin the process of getting it CPD-approved.