This session was a live panel discussion hosted by Jon Poole, Chief Executive at IFST, focusing on the art of Smart Continuous Professional Development (CPD) within the food sector. Jon led the discussion by asking panellists for their perspectives on effective CPD. Vicky Collett from Pepsi Lipton responded ‘’it’s critical to have experience of CPD in your own expertise to support your team members’’. Helen Taylor insightfully shared her advice for students looking to add to their CPD ‘’it’s important to look beyond the immediate and get feedback from those around you, look for good role models’’. The panel also discussed the best practices for logging CPD. Jon highlighted that ‘’For learning to be effective it’s got to stick; this is how it adds value’’. Bertrand Emond from Campden BRI also shared ‘’It’s also about being critical and assessing the value of the CPD activity’’.
Responding to questions from our attendees - Jon asked our panellists ‘’How as an individual can we influence a change in the culture of learning?’’. Tanya Vina from the Science Council shared her views, ‘’it’s about outlining the benefits to the employer, by having a more diverse workforce it can bring about important changes’’. Helen also emphasized the importance of ‘’finding time to listen and opportunities to talk about what we don’t know, what are the gaps, and how we can address those gaps’’.
To close the discussion, the panel explored the use of both certified and non-certified CPD within the food sector. Vicky commented ‘’the majority of your CPD comes from challenging assignments on the job’’. Helen also reminded us that ‘’as professionals we need to focus on using accredited sources for our learning’’.