Demonstrating continuing professional development (CPD)

IChemE requires all Chartered Members (MIChemE) and Fellows (FIChemE) to maintain an annual CPD record. Likewise, Engineering Council's CPD requirements expect CEng registrants to do the same. When paying their annual subscription, members confirm that they are participating in CPD and remain professionally active*.

We review a random sample of these members' records on an annual basis. This sampling process requires selected members to provide evidence of their recent CPD history and upcoming professional development plans.

Sampled registrants will be contacted and asked to complete a submission form and provide supporting evidence. Supporting evidence may be reported using the mycareerpath online CPD recording tool, although other reporting methods will be accepted.

There are exemptions for members that are not professionally active ie retired, unemployed, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave.

Additional information

• Advice and support from the Engineering Council
• Submission guidance
• CPD evidence submission form
• IChemE CPD Policy

CPD report examples

• Academic
• Career break
• Company employee
• Fully retired
• Retired and volunteering
• Self-employed
• Senior technical specialist

*Members who are retired, unemployed, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave may be exempt from CPD requirements for IChemE membership and CEng registration. See our CPD FAQs page for more information.

IChemE and Engineering Council require all Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and Engineering Technicians (EngTech) to maintain an annual CPD record. When paying their annual subscription, members confirm that they are participating in CPD and remain professionally active*.

We review a random sample of these members' records on an annual basis. This sampling process requires selected members to provide evidence of their recent CPD history and upcoming professional development plans.

Sampled registrants will be contacted and asked to complete a submission form and provide supporting evidence. Supporting evidence may be reported using the mycareerpath online CPD recording tool, although other reporting methods will be accepted.

There are exemptions for members that are not professionally active ie retired, unemployed, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave.

Additional information

• Advice and support from the Engineering Council
• Submission guidance
• IEng CPD submission form
• EngTech CPD submission form
• IChemE CPD Policy

IEng and EngTech CPD submission examples coming soon.

*Members who are retired, unemployed, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave may be exempt from CPD requirements for IChemE membership and IEng/EngTech registration. See our CPD FAQs page for more information.

The Science Council expect all CSci, RSci and RSciTech registrants to maintain an annual CPD record. When paying their annual subscription registrants are declaring that they are participating in CPD and remain professionally active; IChemE will request evidence from a random sample each year.

Sampled registrants will be contacted and asked to complete a submission form and to submit supporting evidence. Supporting evidence may be reported using the mycareerpath online CPD recording tool, although other reporting methods will be accepted.

Registrants on a career break or unemployed may defer revalidation for a period of no more than three years.

In line with Science Council requirements, registrants that do not, upon request, provide adequate evidence of their CPD activity, will have their Science Council registration terminated, with a minimum time of 18 months required before members can re-apply for the registration.

CPD should develop deeper and broader knowledge and competency. Science Council registrants should conduct CPD in at least three (exceptionally two) of the following categories:

• work based learning (eg reflective practise)
• professional activity (eg mentoring, professional body involvement)
• formal/educational activity (eg training, further education, writing papers)
• self directed learning (eg reviewing articles, journals)
• other (eg public service, voluntary work).

Additional information

• Advice and support from the Science Council
• Submission guidance
• CSci CPD submission form
• RSci CPD submission form
• RSciTech CPD submission form
• IChemE CPD Policy
• Frequently asked questions

CSci, RSci and RSciTech CPD submission examples coming soon.

The Society for the Environment expects Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) registrants to regularly undertake appropriate CPD. From 2018, IChemE will be required to review a random sample of CEnv CPD records each year.

When paying their annual CEnv subscription, registrants are declaring that they are participating in CPD and remain professionally active. IChemE will then request evidence from a random sample each year to ensure adherence.

Sampled registrants will be contacted and asked to complete a CEnv submission form and to provide supporting evidence. Supporting evidence may be reported using the mycareerpath online CPD recording tool, although other reporting methods will be accepted.

Registrants on career breaks or unemployed may defer revalidation.

Additional information

• Society for the Environment's CPD policy
• CEnv competences - see section D2
• Submission guidance
• CEnv CPD evidence submission form
• IChemE CPD Policy
• Frequently asked questions

CEnv CPD submission examples coming soon.

When paying their annual subscription, members registered as Professional Process Safety Engineers confirm that they are participating in CPD and remain professionally active.

IChemE's annual sampling process requires selected members to provide evidence of their recent, current, and near-future professional development plans. The development objectives and activities carried out must reflect appropriate process safety skills and knowledge.

Sampled registrants will be contacted and asked to complete a submission form and to provide supporting evidence. Supporting evidence may be reported using the mycareerpath online CPD recording tool, although other reporting methods will be accepted.

Members who are not professionally active, such as those who are retired, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave, may be exempt from these requirements.

Additional information

• Submission guidance
• Professional Process Safety Engineer CPD submission form 
• IChemE CPD Policy
• Frequently asked questions

Professional Process Safety Engineer CPD submission examples coming soon.

Under the Queensland ‘Professional Engineers Act 2002’ it is a requirement for engineers practicing in Queensland, Australia to be registered with the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ). To assist members with this requirement, IChemE is an assessing entity for Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ) registration.

All applicants approved as Registered Professional Engineers Queensland (RPEQ) will be subject to an audit of their professional development activities once every seven years. Audited registrants are required to demonstrate an average of 150 hours CPD over a three-year continuous period to maintain their registration.

There are exemptions for members that are not professionally active ie retired, unemployed, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave. See our CPD FAQs page for more information.

CPD and submission requirements

• Demonstrate 150 hours over a three-year continuous period
• Submit a completed CPD submission form
• Copy of your CV/resume
• CPD log/record
• Any additional evidence to support your CPD activities (eg certificate of completion, confirmation email).

Additional information

• Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland's CPD policy
• Submission guidance
• RPEQ CPD submission form
• IChemE CPD policy

mycareerpath® is an online tool designed by the Engineering Council to help you to plan and record any activity that contributes to your professional competence (Initial Professional Development and/or Continuing Professional Development).

mycareerpath keeps your CPD plans and records in one place so that they can easily be to sent to IChemE as part of your professional review, membership application or CPD sampling exercise. You could even send your complete records to your employer as part of your appraisal.

New to mycareerpath?

Register for access.

Already registered?

Log in to mycareerpath.

Watch our CPD webinar recording, the first section talks about CPD in general terms - what, why, how, etc. The second part (approx 46:30 minutes in) goes into more detail about the IChemE CPD policy and how it applies to IChemE members.

In accordance with the By-laws and Regulations of the IChemE, this policy is applicable to all members or those applying for membership or registration in all grades. Read IChemE's CPD policy.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) may take a variety of forms. It can help enhance your technical skills, develop your leadership and management skills, or improve soft skills or voluntary duties. It is more than just training - it gives you the opportunity to develop wider competencies and advanced understanding in areas related to your engineering field and chosen career path. CPD will normally have a direction of travel, for example developing a new skill to help achieve a clear goal.

CPD activities may be:

• work-based: for example, employer training, work shadowing, job rotation or secondments, presentations, performance appraisal, experiential learning, involvement in wider work outside the scope of an individual’s role, or supervising colleagues
• formal education: for example, attending training courses or conferences, undertaking academic qualifications, writing articles, or developing specialist skills
• professional activity: for example, lecturing or teaching, direct or indirectly supervising research, coaching or mentoring, volunteering for a professional body, or membership of a technical expert group
• self-directed learning: reading professional journals, attending webinars, reviewing and summarising books and articles.

This list is not exhaustive and there are many more types of learning activities that are CPD.

Members who are not professionally active, such as those who are unemployed, retired, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave, and who do not undertake any work (paid or unpaid) related to or on behalf of the profession, may be exempt from the CPD requirements, either temporarily or permanently. Please complete section 1 of the submission form with an explanation of your situation for your circumstances to be reviewed.

Please note that the Science Council (for CSci, RSci and RSciTech registrants), the Society for the Environment (for CEnv registrants), and the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS Lead Energy Assessors) require registrants to be professionally active in order to remain on their registers. It is possible to defer your CPD revalidation if you hold one of these registrations and are unemployed, on a career break or maternity/paternity leave, but retired members that are not professionally active may have to relinquish their registration.

Members that hold a non-practicing RPEQ registration are required to demonstrate reduced CPD hours - 150 hours over a five-year period. For further information please refer to the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) website.

Members who are working in roles unrelated to the profession of chemical engineering will ordinarily be required to submit CPD records even though the CPD activities carried out may not include those of an engineering or technical nature. Such members will identify this when summarising their roles and responsibilities within their submission so that when their CPD is assessed, it is clear why activities fall under non-technical areas.

Professionally active means that you are undertaking activities (either paid or unpaid) where you use professional skills and knowledge. Those members who are retired or not working but are undertaking volunteering roles related to the profession are considered to be professionally active, and we would therefore expect them to be carrying out relevant CPD to keep knowledge and skills up to date. The type and amount of CPD will be appropriate to the activities being carried out.

As noted above, the Science Council (for CSci, RSci and RSciTech registrants), the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (for RPEQ registrants), the Society for the Environment (for CEnv registrants), and the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS registrants) require registrants to be professionally active in order to remain on their registers. Therefore, retired members who are not professionally active may have to relinquish their registration. If sampled for one of the above registrations, complete section 1 of the submission form with an explanation of your situation for review.

Members that hold a non-practicing RPEQ registration are required to demonstrate reduced CPD hours - 150 hours over a five-year period. For further information please refer to the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) website.

We understand that not everyone will have access to the same opportunities and that an individual’s CPD plan and activities will be highly dependent on their personal circumstances.

CPD is much more than just training courses and other formal activities. Any activity which maintains or increases your knowledge and skills is CPD. For further advice on what types of activities count as CPD please contact the CPD Administrator.

When assessing CPD submissions we will take account of all the information provided, so in completing your submission form, please help us by explaining any limitations or constraints that impact on your CPD plans in the relevant section.

If you are about to, or have recently had, a change in circumstances which leaves your future CPD plans uncertain, liable to change, or no longer appropriate, please describe these changes and what they mean to your future CPD plans in the relevant section of the CPD submission form.

You don't need to have detailed CPD plans for the future if that's not appropriate at the time, but we would expect you to be able to describe the recent CPD activities that you have undertaken.

We are unable to accept submissions without a completed CPD submission form. All selected members are required to complete a standard CPD submission form, which allows members to demonstrate that they are meeting each of the CPD requirements of their registration, and allows submissions to be assessed in a standardised way by our Assessors. You are welcome to attach documents to your form as supporting evidence. Many members will attach a copy of their CV or recent Professional Development Review (PDR) for example, but this is not a requirement.

All CPD submissions are peer-reviewed by trained volunteer member CPD Assessors who assess submissions against the CPD requirements of each registration concerned and determine whether the submission is adequate or inadequate in each area. 

Members may be asked to provide more information in the first instance, if it is clear to an Assessor that the CPD submission is likely to be graded inadequate. All members then receive final written feedback via email on their submission. Feedback is advisory in most cases and aims to support members to improve their CPD processes. Please note that the Science Council stipulates that members must take action to address any inadequate feedback within a three-month timeframe, and evidence will be requested of this.

If you are unhappy with the feedback on your CPD submission please contact the CPD Administrator.

If extreme circumstances leave you unable to provide a CPD submission by the deadline given (for example high workload, change of job, personal health or family circumstances), please contact the CPD Administrator as soon as possible to inform them of your situation.

It is usually possible to extend the deadline according to individual needs within reason. If you are having difficulties, please do not ignore our emails as you risk your membership and registrations being removed.

Members selected as part of the annual CPD audit will be notified in November/December and have a minimum of 60 days to provide a CPD submission form before the deadline on 1 March. The CPD Administrator will send multiple reminder communications both within and after this period to encourage a members' response. This will include communication via email, phone and letter. 

Should a member fail to respond by 31 May in the year of the audit, they will receive notification from IChemE's Chief Executive that their membership will be removed after 31 August. Any subscription fees already paid for that year are then forfeited. After this date members will have to go through the formal reinstatement process to regain their membership and registrations.

Members are encouraged to keep their contact details up to date via MyIChemE, and to make contact with the CPD Administrator at any time if there are extenuating circumstances preventing them from providing a CPD submission.