Events > Upskilling
Upskilling:
The Compulsory Purchase Professional Development Programme
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FAQs
Why is the programme necessary?
- When viewed in the context of surveying, law and planning, compulsory purchase work is niche.
- Rightly or wrongly cognate graduates – who have potentially racked up a student debt in excess of £45k – have not received a comprehensive education for working in our industry. It's left to employers who work in the industry to carry the load.
- This is a barrier to entry for working in the CPO industry, at a time when the industry has more work than the workforce capacity to provide it.
- To assist firms in the CPO industry and raise standards for all, the CPA has decided to show leadership of the profession by providing a solution.
How do I become a practitioner in the compulsory purchase world?
- This depends upon the area in which you practice. Solicitors and barristers are regulated professions and typically require several steps to become qualified before you can offer legal advice.
- Surveying and Planning do not require these steps, nor do land referencers. Whilst each is governed by a professional body, you do not need to be a member and meet membership standards in order to do such work. However, the traditional route to such work is university, professional training and assessment.
Is it going to be really basic?
- The programme will cover the essentials for understanding how the compulsory purchase process works from the point of view of all parties involved or affected by it. The programme will develop the knowledge required to enable those attending to be able to confidently practice within the compulsory purchase industry and become valuable practitioners.
Who is the programme aimed at?
- To work in and offer compulsory purchase advice, you need to have a broad understanding of compulsory purchase work, including knowledge of the law, valuation, compensation and planning rules. The programme covers all these aspects. The programme will be ideal for surveyors, solicitors, barristers, planners and land referencers.
- Individuals can tailor their learning outcomes according to the practice area in which they work, whilst achieving rounded knowledge of the overall compulsory purchase process.
Can I pick and choose what I want to attend?
- Whilst the full programme is robust and covers the theory and practice of compulsory purchase work, you can purchase individual modules and treat it as a typical CPD event; for some this is all they need.
Why is there no formal assessment?
- Attendees are already employed with busy day jobs; from a variety of professional backgrounds.
- Candidates should be motivated towards self-learning. The programme seeks to empower them to learn and take from the programme what they need.
- Employers and line managers will be ultimate assessors of the new skills they have achieved. The true value is in acquiring the knowledge and understanding, applying it and becoming more valuable to employers.
Informal Assessments
- Whilst there is no formal assessment, the value of informal assessments is recognised. Most modules will provide some questions. Attendees and line managers are encouraged to sit down after each module to discuss the questions. Line managers can augment what has been learnt with the practices used within their organisation and to share work experiences. The intention is for both to gain confidence on what has been learnt.
Do I get a qualification at the end if I do all the modules?
- There is no formal assessment and therefore no qualification. A programme completion certificate will be granted.
- The programme’s success will be measured by employers through the increased workload capabilities and competencies of those who undertook the programme.
- As careers develop beyond this programme, employers, recruitment agencies and participants will recognise the certificate as something that really holds weight in an individual’s knowledge and ability.
How long will it take to complete?
- Everyone likely to attend the programme will have a day job. Typical education models require learning to be day release (or intensive week), or undertaken in your own time.
- The course will run over 7 months (October - April). The modules will take place roughly every 3 weeks (avoiding key holidays etc.).
Is this good value?
- Many CPD programmes cost upwards of £300 per day, they provide circa 5 hours of CPD. Upscale this to 25 hours of CPD, the cost of a programme like the Compulsory Purchase Profession Development Programme would usually be circa £1500.
- Along with providing CPD, the programme is more akin to a diploma or certificate programme.
- The Compulsory Purchase Professional Development Programme covers all the bases necessary for competently working within the compulsory purchase industry and will develop a robust perspective and skill set for those involved. It’s delivered by practitioners and the programme is led by Barry Denyer-Green, author, Chartered Surveyor/Barrister and past chair and Hon member of the CPA.
Networking and engagement and other cross learning opportunities
- Anyone who joins the programme and who is not a member of the Compulsory Purchase Association will be automatically enrolled as a student member of the CPA for 2 years.
- This will secure free Branch, Talking Heads events and CPA Future events and discounts on the Reform and CPA National conferences.