Launches of the Institute of Learning and Development Professionals

The Institute of Learning and Development Professionals (ILDP) has held two formal launches. The Advisory Board held a launch in Sydney on 1 November, and a launch in Melbourne on 28 November 2006. About 40 to 50 guests attended each of the launches, where several speakers talked about the need for a learning and development professional organisation with objectives such as ILDP to raise professional standards and formalise the status of those working in the L&D field.

Launches of the Institute of Learning and Development Professionals

The Institute of Learning and Development Professionals (ILDP) has held two formal launches. The Advisory Board held a launch in Sydney on 1 November, and a launch in Melbourne on 28 November 2006. About 40 to 50 guests attended each of the launches, where several speakers talked about the need for a learning and development professional organisation with objectives such as ILDP to raise professional standards and formalise the status of those working in the L&D field.

Mr. David Collins, General Manager State Training, NSW

The Australian Council of Professions defines a profession as:

'A disciplined group of individuals who adhere to high ethical standards and uphold themselves to, and are accepted by, the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognised, organised body of learning derived from education and training at a high level, and who are prepared to exercise this knowledge and these skills in the interest of others.'

At the ILDP launches after the main speakers all invited guests were invited to provide their views on two broad topics:

1.  The benefits learning and development professionals (and those that might engage them) would gain from certification

2.  The expectations the attendees would have about those people who had obtained certification as a learning and development professional

Prof. Trevor Parmenter AM, Marie Dayton, Mr David Colins

The guests represented a range of roles from Chief Executive Officers, managers, owners, students, educators and members of other professional associations and their comments are summarised below:

· Recognition, respect, credibility, standing and transferability of the certification, with links internationally

·  Increased marketing and recruiting opportunities, with the certification encouraging the confidence of clients, and instilling the confidence that the education provided was world class

·  The recognised standards of the certification would enable a benchmark for evaluation, which would become a recognised set of standards like the CPA

·  Other benefits flowed from the self-development and motivation the certification would encourage

Mr Tony Harman, Mr Mark Bagshaw, Mr Peter May

The guests indicated that the certification should reflect a professional with a number of qualities who had attained a suitable standard of expertise and professionalism to gain certification. The certified professional:

·  Exhibits a number of personal qualities, such as confidence, ethical behaviour, a maturity and integrity, and one who was empathetic to, and capable of engaging, the learner

·  Has a higher level of knowledge and expertise in learning and development, is highly competent in delivering training and education, and continues to develop

·  Has a higher level of skills in areas like communication and people skills, in addition to considerable and well-rounded education

·  Is a professional, exhibited by the way the professional acts and behaves, as well as for the contributions made to the industry

·  Is client-focussed and contributes to the bottom line, being commercially literate

Mrs Jillian Skinner M.P., Miss Marie Dayton, Dr. Jane Conway

The Board thanks those who attended the launches and who contributed such useful information. ILDP will use this information to help define the ethical standards, membership criteria and assessment process for the Institute and will conduct a series of focus groups nationally in January and February 2007 to define selection criteria and assessment processes for a person who applies to become a CLDP (Certified Learning & Development Professional).

Mr Geoff Clark, Standards Australia