COMP402 Professional competency and life-long training Prepared By Joseph Leung (18th October 2003)

COMP402Professional competency and

life-long training

Prepared By

Joseph Leung

(18th October 2003)

AGENDA Overview Introduction of CPD (Continuing Professional Development Demand for CPD Importance of CPD

Individual’s Perspective Employer’s Perspective Professional Association’s Perspective CPD Costs

CPD Activities Practices of CPD Necessity of Lifelong Learning

Economic Change Social Change Technological Change

What is Lifelong Learning Three Dimensions of Lifelong Learning Why is Lifelong Learning important ? Old and New Styles of Delivering ‘Learning’ Lifelong Learning ~ The Difference in Philosophy Characteristics of a Learning Society Challenges of Life-long Learning Life-long learning opportunities in Hong Kong Professionalism vs Academy Reference Sites in Hong Kong Government Funding Conclusion

Overview

Lifelong learning and the valueof continuous professional development (CPD): Individual’s perspective Employer’s perspective Professional Association’s perspective

Introduction to CPD

Requires all professionals to take personal responsibility for the process of updating their own ability to understand the range of topics relevant to their area of competence

"Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of relevant knowledge and skills, and the development of these qualities necessary for the successful carrying out of professional duties throughout a software engineer or information technology professional's career. In this it is aimed at enhancing individual worth and thus corporate performance."

Introduction to CPD

Continuing Professional Development is an ongoing necessity in the ever changing technological world in which we live. The practising professional software engineers and information technology professionals should aim to remain competent throughout their working careers so that they can properly carry out their various duties. To this end software engineers and information technology professionals need to take opportunities to update their depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise and to develop those personal qualities required to fulfil their roles in industry and in society.

Introduction to CPD

CPD covers matters of direct technical relevance as well as broader studies also of importance to the professionals in the furtherance of their careers such as communication, environmental matters, financial management, leadership skills, legal aspects, marketing, occupational safety and health and professional ethics.

Demand for CPD

The community has higher dependence on software engineering and information technology professionals

Many large scale information technology infrastructure have failed badly by any standard

Rapid change in technologies New technical skills of software engineering and

information technology professionals become outdated soon

Traditionally, software engineering and information technology professionals are not good at inter-personal communications

An important drive to Professionalism and Ethics

Importance of CPD

Competence Emphasis on learning Increased customer expectations Litigation Standards Quality management Competitiveness

Importance of CPD

Professional development has assumed great importance in all sectors of education over the last few years

Focus on higher standards and improving quality Demands of increasing accountability mean that

every professionals have an unprecedented need for ongoing professional development

Each sector has standards or ‘competences’ for the assessment of performance

Individual’s Perspective

FROM Expectation of a “job for life” Develop a single specialist

skill Vertical promotion “Keep your head down” Single employer (for entire

career) Careers planned Develop a skill during an

initial training period

TO Reality “no job is safe” Multiple skills required Horizontal / lateral

movement “Innovative and take risks” Multiple employers (portfolio

of careers) Plan your own career Continuous lifelong learning

Employer’s Perspective

Develop CPD policy of objectives that reflect business needs

Document and record CPD activity Evaluate CPD Pay attention to the effective management of

the learning environment at work Measure the cost of professional

development

Professional association’s Perspective

Issues considered important : Who should pay for CPD ? How do you measure true costs ? Should financial assistance be provided ? What is the role of CPD ?

CPD Costs (The Individual)

Costs of undertaking CPD Time – personal and

professional Commitment –

personal and professional

Costs of NOT undertaking CPD Opportunity costs lost Potential loss of

professional standing Inability to compete with

fellow members of the professional body

CPD Costs (The Professional Association) Costs of undertaking

CPD Time – allocated to

running the scheme and to supporting members

Commitment

Costs of NOT undertaking CPD Opportunity costs lost Potential lost of

standing amongst the profession if members not seen / proven to be competent

CPD Costs (The Professional Association) Costs of undertaking

CPD Preparation and

dissemination of regulations / policies

Provision / contracting to provide actual CPD activities

Issuing guidance / support facilities

Evaluating the policy and individual members’ CPD

Costs of NOT undertaking CPD Lack of consistency of

standards among members

CPD Costs (The Employer)

Costs of undertaking CPD Time – hours / days in

dividual away from daily tasks and cost of replacing individual

Costs of NOT undertaking CPD Opportunity costs lost

CPD Costs (The Employer)

Costs of undertaking CPD Potential loss of staff as

individual develops

Costs of NOT undertaking CPD Potential liability through

employees’ lack of competence

Loss of staff due to lack of personal development opportunity

Loss of market share / public support where employees are not seen / proven to be competent

Potential inability to compete in the market against those organizations whose employees are kept up-to-date professionally

CPD Activities

Technical talks Seminars Workshops Presentations Short courses Conferences Industrial attachment and visits Professional activites Publishing technical books

Practices of CPD

Usually requires a minimum amount of CPD hours per quarter / year

CPD hours would be recognized or endorsed by the professional association

CPD programmes might be organized by the professional association itself or programmes of other associations they recognized

Failure of achieving the minimum amount of CPD hours might be resulted with a downgrade or suspend of the membership, that depends on the professional association’s rules and regulations

The Necessity for Lifelong Learning

As we enter the 21st century we face an array of changes: Economic changes Social changes Technological changes

It is an established fact that society is changing. The world economy is in transition - from the industrial age to

the knowledge age. There are shifts in employment patterns as new industries replace old

There is a change in the age composition of our communities. As a result of these changes barriers to trade are coming down and we are now part of a global economy

The application and convergence of computing and communication technologies has accelerated the development of global business and the global market place

Technology is now an integral part of the workplace, our homes, our community, our very way of living

Economic Change

Knowledge Economy As Hong Kong moves into the new millennium, and we seek

ways of addressing the need to become a Knowledge Society, we not only face a bewildering mix of uncertainty, risk, insecurity and division, but also opportunity

Globalisation The challenges of rapid change are all around us. They can

be seen in radical shifts in the organisation of industry, business and labour markets

Specialisation We are apparent in the rapid changes in occupations and th

e demand for new skills, and manifest themselves in new technology and communication systems

Economic Change

Diversity Gone are the days of a single career path for most people These challenges feature in the need to meet increased

competition, and in the requirement for new skills and capacities at work

Complexity, risk, uncertainty, sudden shifts Demand for new products and services and in the radical and

far reaching transformation of technology, information and communications now in existence

These changes are having great impact on individuals as they struggle to meet these challenges

Social Change

An ageing society Statistics show that we are an ageing society. Life expectancy

at present is into the 80s, but people are retiring or becoming unemployed at 50 something, so there is a need for these people to continue with active and interesting lives. Lifelong Learning is a ‘cradle to grave’ process and each and every member of our society plays an important and integral part in its

welfare

Poverty, exclusion, disadvantaged groups Statistics also show that an increasing number of people are on

the poverty line. These people are disadvantaged the most in applying for employment or having the confidence to take up learning opportunities

Social Change

Changes in demographics These are the very adults in our community whom we must enc

ourage and provide easier, more cohesive and more connected pathways to learning for them to fulfil their learning potential. We need to be proactive about addressing their needs

Changes in family types Hong Kong has the lowest birth rate among regional countries There is a trend showing more and more people are getting late

in their marriages

Technological Change

Information and Communication Technologies There is no doubt that those who do not understand,

use and develop technology within their field are disadvantaged in the global market. Where once we wrote letters now we send e-mails. Where once one telephone in the house was a luxury we now have multiple land lines, computer communication, and use mobiles

Changing methods and patterns of communication We have cable communication, data networks, satellite

links, and increasingly technological developments are ahead of its usage  

Shift from linear to network societies Digital divide 

What is Lifelong Learning ?

It is a cradle to grave process It includes formal, non-formal, informal, and

incidental learning It is learner driven It boosts confidence It provides cohesion

Three Dimensions of Lifelong Learning Personal fulfillment for individuals

Personal growth Love of learning Knowledge, skills and attitudes Employability Equity

Three Dimensions of Lifelong Learning (Cont’d) Economic development of districts, regions

and nations Innovation Competitiveness Productivity Knowledge Economy Ecological integrity Sustainability

Three Dimensions of Lifelong Learning (Cont’d) Social development of communities

Caring citizenship Quality of life Active participation Cultural richness Inclusion

Put all of this together and you create a Vision for

Lifelong Learning

Why is Lifelong Learning important ?

provides cohesion and connectedness provides inclusiveness stimulates new partnerships changes focus from institutions to learners and

learning boosts competitiveness improves quality of life reduces unemployment promotes cultural development reduces barriers reduces inequality

  Old New

Character• Formal • Formal

• Informal • Reflexive

Funding• Mainstream budgets • Initiatives

• Special projects

Focus• Provider driven • Learner led

Structure• Segmented • Competitive • Age driven & elitist • Majority leave @ 16 or 18

• Integrated • Collaborative • All age & open to all • Lifelong

Delivery• Teachers • Classrooms • Schools closed 75% of year

• Autonomous learners • Networked learning centres • All day, all year 24/7

Old and new styles of delivering ‘learning’

Lifelong Learning ~ The Difference in Philosophy An ‘education’ is based on a formal, structured progra

mme of learning, for a set period of time, where you have to learn before you can do

Lifelong Learning takes what you can do and allows you to learn what you want to learn, when you want to learn, where you want to learn and shows you how to turn those skills to economic advantage for the rest of your life

Fundamentally learning is about change, whereas “education” implies completion, “learning” is ongoing.

Characteristics of a Learning Society

Learning is accepted as a continuing activity throughout life Learners take responsibility for their own progress Assessment confirms progress rather than brands failure Capability, person and shared values, team-working are recognised eq

ually with the pursuit of knowledge Learning is a partnership between students, parents, teachers, employe

rs and the community who all work together to improve performance Everyone accepts some responsibility for the learning of others Men, women, the disabled and minority groups have equal access to le

arning opportunities Learning is seen as creative, rewarding and enjoyable Learning is outward-looking, mind-opening and promotes tolerance, res

pect, and understanding of other cultures, creeds, races and traditions Learning is frequently celebrates individually, in families, in the commun

ity and in the wider world.

Challenges of Life-long Learning

Time Management Too many temptations Self disciplines Insufficient working experience Financial constraints Peer group pressure

Life-long learning opportunities in Hong Kong Professional associations

eg. HK Institute of Engineers, Institute of Human Resource Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing, ….

Extramural studies eg. HKU SPACE, SPEED, SCOPE, LIFE, …

Vocational training eg. HKPC, VTC

On-job training Self-study

Professionalism vs Academy

It has been argued that academics in higher education need both educational expertise and subject expertise if they are to be regarded as ‘TRUE’ professionals

Another argument stated that ‘Professional autonomy is premised on relationship of trust built on mutual respect between client / sponsors and professionals and belief in the value of professional services’

Reference Sites in Hong Kong

Education and Manpower Bureau www.info.gov.hk/emb

CPD Alliance www.cpdalliance.i.am

Joint Professionals Centre www.hkprofessionals.org

Government Funding

Continuous Education Fund (CEF) The Continuing Education Fund (CEF) subsidizes

adults with learning aspirations to pursue continuing education and training courses. Eligible applicants will be reimbursed 80% of their fees, subject to a maximum sum of HK$10,000, on successful completion of a reimbursable course or module(s) forming part of the course. The fees for more than one reimbursable course may be reimbursed, subject to the maximum ceiling of HK$10,000 per applicant not being exceeded .

Government Funding

Skills Upgrading Scheme The "Skills Upgrading Scheme" provide continuous

learning opportunities for in-services employees from different industries. The courses are jointly designed by the representatives of employers, employees and training organizations. A major part of course fee will be subsidized by the government. The scheme has also put in place a stringent quality assurance mechanism. The skills qualification a trainee received under the Scheme will be widely recognized by employers in the industry.

Conclusion

The essence of Lifelong Learning is that : Learning should become as natural as

breathing Learning should be both lifelong and life-wide Learning is about securing our future. Lifelong learning is a self-perpetuating process

- the more successful it is, the more successful it becomes