The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) has launched a series of improvements to the IQ Connect App and online portal, making it easier for members to record and access their continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
The latest enhancements include an automatic CPD recording feature, downloadable reports that show CPD hours and activities, visual triggers to show which entries require additional information and a status bar to show how a member is progressing towards their current annual target. Members can also view a full list of all events and register to attend using the ‘one-click’ functionality.
Sarah Fry is head of membership and marketing at IQ. She says: “Responding to feedback and analysis of industry best practice, IQ has undertaken a programme of software enhancements to improve CPD reporting. We have invested in our systems and processes so that members have better access to the information they need.
“The new CPD reporting tools easily show members how their activities are aligned to the different IQ Skills Wheel segments, which was launched by the IQ to help members develop skills and expertise in a range of areas to support their professional development. The Skills Wheel provides an overview of all the core skills and areas of knowledge that all employees in the mineral products industry should aim to be effective in beyond the basics of the job itself.”
The automatic recording feature applies to events scheduled through the event system. By logging in to the member portal or by accessing events via IQ Connect, members will have a one-click registration for events they wish to attend. When they attend the virtual event live, this is recorded in the system and automatically updated to their CPD record. A simplified event booking process makes it easier for members to register to attend events. Clicking the ‘Register Now’ button on the events page is all a member needs to do to confirm their attendance. Those that register and attend IQ events will have their CPD record automatically updated with that activity. The only thing that is left for a member to do is to complete the ‘what was learned’ section, and the CPD activity will be submitted.
New graphs have been developed to help members clearly see where they are investing their learning in relation to the IQ Skills Wheel, as well as how they are doing with regards to achieving the mandatory minimum requirement of 30 hours of CPD per year.
Members also have the power to analyse their historical CPD. They can choose which year to view their data or view their total number of hours submitted over a number of years. This really supports members in identifying skills and knowledge areas that they may want to develop in the future, Sarah adds: “Over the last year IQ has enjoyed an exceptional 91 per cent retention rate, despite the issues associated with furlough and COVID19. We constantly review our processes to make sure that we are providing the highest levels of support for our members, and we are grateful that members value being part of the industry’s own professional membership body.
“The £182 it costs to join IQ today means that members can head into the new year armed with a suite of additional resources and networks that will help them to progress and develop their careers during 2022.”
The IQ promotes professionalism in the minerals products sector. Members benefit from career development opportunities with access to valuable CPD resources, internationally recognised qualifications and a network of professionals sharing accumulated knowledge and good practice. Visit www.quarrying.org.
Anyone looking for advice about their CPD, or for those who are interested in joining IQ membership can contact Debbie White, IQ’s membership officer, on 0115 972 9995 or via email at Debbie.white@quarrying.org.
