Continuing professional development (“CPD”) is an important part of being a professional. It helps ensure applied biology professionals maintain their competence and stay up to date.
Program Overview
The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program requires registered applied biology professionals to maintain and improve their professional competencies by completing continuing professional development activities. The CPD Program aids the College of Applied Biologists in protecting the public interest by ensuring registrants continue to remain up to date as applied biology professionals.
The CPD Program is described in Part 7, Division 2 of the College Bylaws and in Policy 7-100.
Requirements
Requirements for registrants are set out in the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Standard.
Participation in the CPD Program is mandatory for all practicing and in-training registrants, including those registered as on leave.
- Minimum points/hours: Registrants must complete 100 CPD points of eligible activities over 3 consecutive years (there is reduced requirement for those registered as on leave).
- CPD categories: Eligible activities are defined by categories in the CPD Standard.
- Claimable points: Maximum annual claimable points per activity and category are set out in the CPD Standard.
- Indigenous Peoples: Registrants must complete 5 CPD points (hours) of learning about Indigenous Peoples over 3 consecutive years.
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Registrants must complete 5 CPD points (hours) of learning about equity, diversity and inclusion over 3 consecutive years.
- Annual reporting: Registrants must submit annual records of CPD activities by December 31st of each year in their profile in the College’s registrant portal.
Suggested CPD activities
Below are some suggested resources that may be considered CPD activities. Refer to the CPD Standard for information on categories, criteria and associated claimable points. It is a registrant’s responsibility to ensure CPD activities align with the CPD Standard when claiming points.
Volunteer for College Committee and Task Force openings
A great way to earn Continuing Professional Development Points: Service to the College can be used towards CPD points requirements, depending on the task force or committee. Check current volunteer openings.
Webinars
- US Fish & Wildlife Service National Conservation Service Training Center
- Climate Risk Institute – Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform Webinars
- ECO Canada webinars
- Harvard Business Review webinars
- Canadian Wildlife Federation webinars
- Science (magazine) webinars
- Evaluating Stormwater to Identify & Quantify Causal Toxins from Tire Degradants
- Association of Professional Biology (APB) Sponsored CPD Events
- Erosion and Sediment Control Association of British Columbia (ESCA BC)
- OCTO – Open Communications for the Ocean
Podcasts
Online Courses
- Gender-based Analysis Plus
- ECO Canada courses
- edX
- University of British Columbia — Science Courses
- Class Central — Science Courses
- Fuel Management & Spill Response Courses
- QGIS Level I & II — Columbia Mountains Institute of Applied Ecology
- Fundamentals of OCAP — First Nations Governance Information Centre
- ESTI Nest Sweep Protocol — Environmental Sciences Training Centre
- Ecosystem Field Data Collection Micro-Credential — University of Northern BC
- Field training, blended and online courses — SALMTEC (Alberta)
Publication Resources
Legal Resources: Legislation, regulation and court rulings
- CANLII (a searchable website for legislation, regulation and legal cases that have resulted on in Canada)
Conferences and Events