CPD as Company Culture: Why Continuous Learning Matters to Our Team

Over the past few months, we’ve delivered a programme of internal CPD sessions and arranged external learning opportunities for our team to take part in, working alongside clients, partners and industry connections.

We’ve been working hard to make sure CPD is part of our culture – not a tick-box exercise or something that drops to the bottom of the to-do list when things get busy. Our aim is to build a shared commitment to learning that is genuinely valued and prioritised across the business.

We’re fortunate to have a huge amount of industry expertise within our own team, and equally grateful to work with partners who are leading experts in their fields and generously give their time to share their knowledge. We have a lot of great connections and minds around us.  Our goal is simple…to make the most of it!

Learning together, and not in silos!

The built environment is shaped by collaboration. No single discipline operates in isolation, and the best outcomes come from understanding different perspectives and sharing experience across organisations.

By running internal sessions and encouraging participation in external CPD, here is what found it creates space for:

• Open discussion across teams
• Shared problem-solving
• Learning that reflects real-world challenges, not just theory
• On-going networking and partnership opportunities

It also reinforces something we strongly believe in…that learning is more impactful when it’s shared.

Supporting trainees and apprentices

We’ve spoken before about how much we love bringing new and fresh talent into the business. It creates exciting opportunities for those starting out, while also introducing new perspectives that help keep us innovating and evolving.

A strong CPD culture plays an especially important role for our trainees and apprentices. Structured learning, exposure to a wide range of topics, and access to broader industry insight all help build confidence, technical understanding and professional judgement.

One approach that has worked particularly well for us is encouraging trainees and apprentices to deliver internal CPD sessions themselves. With the time, space and support to research a topic and present it back to the wider team, it becomes a valuable learning experience for everyone, and encouraging discussion across different experience levels.

What are the recent CPD topics we’ve covered?

In recent months, sessions have covered a range of practical and topical areas, including:

• Boundary disputes
• Party wall matters
• Heritage as a strategic asset
• AI guidance in line with RICS standards

Each session has sparked thoughtful discussion, shared learning across the team and, importantly, given us practical takeaways that help move our work forward.

Looking ahead to the new year

Our CPD planning will continue into the new year – here is a peak into some of the planned topics coming up:

• Planning considerations with Westminster City Council
• An internal deep dive into the Building Safety Act and its ongoing implications

If you’re reading this and think your organisation (or you personally), could contribute a CPD session that would be of value, or if there’s an opportunity to collaborate, we’d love to hear from you.

Shared learning doesn’t just benefit individual businesses – it strengthens the industry as a whole.

We 100% believe that knowledge is most valuable when it’s shared. Opening up learning opportunities across teams, clients, partners and wider connections helps raise standards, strengthen relationships and contribute positively to the profession.

There is always more to learn, and more we can do to support and upskill both new and established professionals across the industry.

By embracing CPD as a core part of PRE’s culture, our aim is to create an environment where curiosity is encouraged, expertise is shared and learning never stands still.

Everyone approaches CPD differently, and there’s always something to learn from each other. We’d love to hear how you support learning within your team – drop us an email or get in touch here.