Employability Skills and Professional Development

This document provides a comprehensive guide on employability skills and professional development. It covers the importance of continuous professional development and how to create a personal and professional development plan. The document also focuses on enhancing management, leadership, interpersonal, time management, and dependability skills. It offers valuable insights and strategies to succeed in one's career.

Employability Skills
and Professional
Development

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Portfolio...........................................................................................................................................1
Aims and objectives of portfolio.................................................................................................1
Introduction.................................................................................................................................1
CPD ............................................................................................................................................1
Allocation of CPD timing ..........................................................................................................3
How CPD is recorded..................................................................................................................3
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN..............................................4
Reflection....................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9

Introduction
In present time, employability skills are said to be the traits along with the talents that
effectively helps an individual (working employee) to perform number of responsibilities at
workplace (Dixon and et. al., 2014). Over the years, employability skills consists with different
elements and these are training, practical applications and education within the job market.
Basically, the report is going to be enclosed with various skills, which were being considered
within the assessment one which will help in developing the portfolio that would aid in pulling
out favourable information in regards the one individual.
Portfolio
Aims and objectives of portfolio
This portfolio's aim is to develop a continuous development plan for an individual who is
performing different number of responsibilities and duties in relation to a particular job. On the
other hand, if it is the talked about the objective for this portfolio, is to develop number of skills
like management, interpersonal, leadership, time management, dependability and more are said
to be the ones that would help in meeting the different requirements of the business organisation.
Introduction
Basically, the professional development plan that has been developed within the
assessment one, provides information about the skills and abilities the person is lacking and what
are the ways of improving them (Forte and Flores, 2014). By taking help of this PDP plan, I
might become able to consider the different range of skills where I could make modifications in
them based on the requirements the organisation and of my own. Through this, CPD plan will
effectively be developed.
CPD
Continuing Professional Development (CPD), directly helps an individual in bringing
modifications among different existing skills and competencies. This directly aid in meeting the
requirements of the business organisation and desired goals as well in relation to various skills
that needs improvement. It has been analysed that management gives chances to employees of a
business company to participate in these exercises for creating and improving their capacities
and aptitudes. It empowers learning for getting cognizant and proactive (Gamrat and et. al.,
1

2014). Along with this, Continuing Professional Development is consists with different
approaches for learning, such as preparing workshops, e-learning programs, meetings, occasions,
thought sharing and best practice methods, all are centring for a person for improving and having
powerful expert advancement. Development and acknowledgement that capabilities of
scholastics should offer professional just as aptitude based or reasonable learning. Here, it can be
said that seniors are the one who helps through different elements and these could be anything
from pragmatic, organized and systematic methodology for keeping staff and creating aptitudes
and information in their organizations for keeping up an upper hand and practical. At the point
when people are engaged with proceeding with proficient improvement it guarantees that both
scholarly and viable capability are not out dated and outdated. Organized CPD or dynamic
learning incorporates intuitive and interest based investigation (Moss, Gibson and Dollarhide,
2014).
In present time, it has been analysed that most of the time proactive instruments helps an
individual in maintaining the skills and this stays enclosed with different range of elements like
training course, visiting conference, seminars, e-learning course, lecture and more. On the other
hand, this type of learning is specifically applied when professionals take career oriented
assessments. Reflective CPD or passive learning includes no participant based interaction. In this
form of CPD there is more passive form and this is one directional. Some of the examples of this
are reading of relevant information case studies and podcasts. Including this, for an individual
there are number of informal meetings that stays available in relation to the CPD reflective
learning. The objectives of these are meetings are made clear in overall CPD plan. Self-directed
learning involves all unaccompanied CPD activities. It covers the reading of documents, articles
and publications; either in print or online. Reading relevant publications, books by leading
experts, industry journals and trade magazines are all types of self-directed CPD (Murdoch-
Eaton and Sandars, 2014).
Including this, it is also said that CPD helps individuals to bring right amount of
improvements within the correct time so that all desired position within the company can easily
be grabbed. Here, it is said that learning and training directly enhance confidence and overall
capability, and compliments career aspirations. CPD enables individuals to adapt positively to
bring changes within the workstation. Including this, it is also said that if an employee
proactively develops a CPD plan that it may aid in making effective developments within the
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existing skills and capabilities that an individual is carrying. Including this, recording CPD may
aid in making right decisions within the strategies that are being utilised and this is where
effective modifications can be made considering all the evidence of professional development.
Allocation of CPD timing
This is particularly being considered as one of the crucial approach, that would help in
delegating the time to a particular skill while focusing upon continuous professional
development plan (Olsen, 2015). Including this, it is much needed for a person while working at
a workstation because, at present competitive level within every single sector is pretty much high
and this may lead an individual to go through different level of consequences. Here, Continuing
Professional Development requirements for their organization/industry to understand how their
CPD training and learning should be recorded and what number of hours are required. Through
this, effective decisions in regards to the business company and in relation to the individual could
effectively be done in specified time frame. Apart from this, it is said that many of the business
institutes in all over the world offers their employees with different assessments in related to
Continuing Professional Development that fulfils all the necessities so that they could effectively
be managed as a minimum annual number of hours. Including this, elements like points, units
along with the credits may also be considered as different CPD hours, that are required by an
individual to understand and bring modifications among various elements as well. Most of
foundations enable individuals to pick subjects of significance to them as people, a minority
additionally require their individuals to look for CPD on a scope of studying a particular
subjects. Time allotment for CPD is significant as it is obligation of the individual. It is
imperative to comprehend CPD needs and requests for a company so as to see how CPD learning
and preparing can be recorded and how long are expected to assess aptitudes (Prosek and Hurt,
2014).
How CPD is recorded
In present time, there are ample number of ways through which a person could
effectively keep his/her capabilities to get tracked of annual different CPD activities that are
directly performed within the record form. Here, it can be said that it is important for an
individual to correct, up to date and meets different range of requirements in relation to
professional body or particularly a business association. On the other hand, considering all the
informations in relation to CPD activity, here it shows the information which is specifically
3

recorded within the terms of learning outcomes. Including this, it is also said that practical
application can also be performed that is directly linked with the knowledge that an individual
has obtained while performing a task (van Aalderen‐Smeets and Walma van der Molen, 2015).
Including this, it is said that different Continuous Professional development programmes would
directly lead the individual to what focus upon various number of CPD hours that may take
place. Here, it is said that considering this approach an individual would directly become able to
record right or much more suitable degree in relation to the CPD hours for cognitive behaviour
of skills that are being adopted by the individual while working at the workstation (Ramia and et.
al., 2016).
In present context, I have developed my own personal and professional development plan
that would help me in making right decisions in relation to different skills that I am having.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Personal development plan:
S
.
N
o
.
SKILL CURRENT
PROFICIEN
CY
TARGET
PROFICIEN
CY
DEVELOPME
NT
OPPORTUNIT
Y
CRITERI
A FOR
JUDGING
SUCCESS
TIME
SCAL
E
1
.
Managem
ent Skill
In present
time, I can
only handle
two tasks at a
time.
To perform all
the tasks as a
multitasker, so
that to improve
my own
proficiency
level.
Perform different
range of tasks
within specified
time frame.
The
success or
failure of
all the
tasks in
targeted
time span.
2
Months
2
.
Leadershi
p Skills
Lack of
confidence and
are not able to
delegate the
work to
subordinated
Become a
confident
leader who can
delegate tasks
properly.
Motivate the
employees at the
time of need and
lead them about
the new tasks
that are assigned
The
satisfaction
of
employees,
the work
done by
3
Months
4

to them. them will
prove the
leadership
abilities.
3
.
Interperso
nal Skill
I am presently
not able to
develop my
own vision, in
relation to
having sights
particularly
related to the
future tasks of
the company.
To become
able to get
different
insights in
relation to
company's
vision and
mission.
I might become
able to provide
unique ideas to
my team
members while
performing
different range of
tasks at
workstation.
Build up
confidence,
where I am
directly
giving
suggestion
s to both
my team
and to my
senior
employees.
6
Weeks
4 Time
Managem
ent skill
I am not
effectively
punctual and
less capable of
performing the
task in rightful
manner.
Become
punctual and
start
performing all
the tasks right
on time.
Completion of
different tasks in
uncertainties as
well.
All the
tasks gets
finished in
short span.
9
Weeks
5 Dependabi
lity Skills
At present, I
am not that
much skilled
and
dependency
level on others
is high as well.
To become
totally
independent at
workstation.
I might start
taking all the
decisions by my
own.
Effective
decisions
in specified
time frame.
3
Months
The professional development plan is prepared as follows:
5

Objectives Current level of
development
Success criteria
(TARGET
DATE)
Actions Completed
Yes/No
Management
Skill
Average 2 months from
current date
Performing tasks
more than two at
a time.
YES
Leadership
Skills
Below Average 3 months from
current date
Through
developing
different effective
policies in
relation to the
effective future of
my own.
YES
Interpersonal
Skill
Average 6 months from
now
This is said to be
one of the crucial
skill, that can
effectively be
managed by my
own through
meeting daily
targets.
YES
Time
Management
skill
Average 3 months from
now
Through
managing all the
tasks considering
the allocating
approach.
YES
Dependability
Skills
Below Average 6 months from
today
Through taking
right decisions in
specified time
YES
6

frame
(Vangrieken and
et. al., 2017).
Key learning experiences during university time
At the time when I was in college, I can effectively say that when I was taking different
classes or lectures within the college with concentration, I become able to improve my learning
skill and this is where I am pretty much thankful to invest my entire energy and day by building
up another expertise consistently. In school, I was working in groups and companions so I had
the option to create group building aptitudes and ability to work in a much more interactive way.
This helped me to get the hang of driving individuals and directing them to work viably.
According to my sentiment, I had the option to do my work thusly by aptitudes and information I
have created I school time.
What you want to achieve next and how you are going to achieve that
As I want to progress my near future, it will be much more important for me to consider
different range of skills so that I could effectively gain knowledge that would directly help me
out in meeting the career needs of my own. On the other hand, if it is talked about a particular
job role within the company, then I have to attend various meetings and develop policies as well
for the company and for my team members. This will be attained by me through attaining all the
targeted skills fulfilled in specified time frame.
Reflection
If it is talked about the above mentioned personal and professional development plan that
I have developed of my own, where different range of skills like management, leadership,
interpersonal, time management and dependability has been taken into consideration can
effectively be uphold or improvised through following the different tasks (Vangrieken and et. al.,
2017). On the other hand, I wanted to build up my time management related aptitude by sorting
out various projects, gatherings and occasions with colleagues. This will assist me with meeting
my colleagues all the more successfully. At the point when colleagues and I will be cooperating,
it is better for me to know my colleagues all the more profoundly and they can impart their issues
to me. Another expertise which I need to fabricate is initiative aptitudes. Since, I want to grab a
good position within the company, then it will be required by me to become an effective leader
7

who could effectively take right decisions. Here, improvised dependability would help me out in
meeting the different tasks in specified time frame. Away with this, another crucial skill in which
I lack is management skill and this is where I lack because I am less capable to perform more
then two tasks, and through continuous practice, I could effectively become a multitasker at
workstation. Including this, it will be required by me to hit my targets and by looking at this, my
seniors might give me a senior post as well in near future. On the other hand, I am not effective
enough within my interpersonal skills as well, and this is where built up confidence would help
me in having a healthy conversation with my colleagues and with targeted customers of the
company. Including this, considering my own analysis, I can effectively say that it will be
required by me to develop the CPD plan every two months so that I could effectively build up
my own personality and confidence to get promoted at workplace. On the other hand, once all
the different range of desired skills related goals and objectives, if I may attain, then it will help
me in getting promoted within the company. Lastly, I can also say that considering all the
different range of skills, I might become able to help me in attaining goals and targets in an
appropriate manner. I have to develop my personal skills and for this I have to do it willingly.
CONCLUSION
Considering the above mentioned report, it is being concluded that continuous improvement
plan may aid me in meeting all the requirements of an individual in regards to getting the desired
position within the company. Including this, it is also summarised that for an individual there are
number of skills that needs proper attention while hitting the targets.
8

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dixon, F.A. and et. al., 2014. Differentiated instruction, professional development, and teacher
efficacy. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 37(2), pp.111-127.
Forte, A.M. and Flores, M.A., 2014. Teacher collaboration and professional development in the
workplace: A study of Portuguese teachers. European Journal of Teacher
Education, 37(1), pp.91-105.
Gamrat, C. and et. al., 2014. Personalized workplace learning: An exploratory study on digital
badging within a teacher professional development program. British journal of
educational technology, 45(6), pp.1136-1148.
Moss, J.M., Gibson, D.M. and Dollarhide, C.T., 2014. Professional identity development: A
grounded theory of transformational tasks of counselors. Journal of Counseling &
Development, 92(1), pp.3-12.
Murdoch-Eaton, D. and Sandars, J., 2014. Reflection: moving from a mandatory ritual to
meaningful professional development. Archives of disease in childhood, 99(3),
pp.279-283.
Olsen, B., 2015. Teaching what they learn, learning what they live: How teachers' personal
histories shape their professional development. Routledge.
Prosek, E.A. and Hurt, K.M., 2014. Measuring professional identity development among
counselor trainees. Counselor Education and Supervision, 53(4), pp.284-293.
Ramia, E. and et. al., 2016. Mapping and assessment of personal and professional development
skills in a pharmacy curriculum. BMC medical education, 16(1), p.19.
van Aalderen‐Smeets, S.I. and Walma van der Molen, J.H., 2015. Improving primary teachers’
attitudes toward science by attitude‐focused professional development. Journal of
research in science teaching, 52(5), pp.710-734.
Vangrieken, K. and et. al., 2017. Teacher communities as a context for professional
development: A systematic review. Teaching and teacher education, 61, pp.47-59.
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