Continuing professional development (CPD) is necessary. It is important – and in their best interests – for members to keep up to date with editing trends. There are always new things to learn in search of excellence. Doing so is especially crucial for those members who have attained ATE status; but it is also necessary for all members as preparation for the introduction of the South African Language Practitioners’ Council Act 8 of 2014 (SALPC Act) at some future date.

What is CPD?

The ‘continuing’ in CPD refers to a succession of learning activities in which professionals engage during their working life in order to develop and enhance their professional skills. The desired outcome of CPD activities is increased proficiency, which should be achieved through the ‘development’ in CPD. CPD activities therefore serve as a maintenance programme for us as professionals and can include formal training, attending conferences, e-learning and sharing knowledge, skills and techniques with colleagues, among many other forms of learning activity.

For more information on PEG’s Accreditation scheme, visit our Accreditation website page or, if you are a member, see this PEGboard article from our April 2022 issue.

Must everyone accumulate CPD hours?

The short answer: Yes. Our CPD requirements are an effective way of standardising levels of professionalism and maintaining excellence in editing practice. We want to ensure that our qualifications do not become outdated, that our skills and knowledge meet best practice requirements and that we maintain our credibility as professionals. PEG therefore encourages all of its members to accumulate 20 hours of CPD per membership year.

An article in the November 2021 issue of PEGboard will give you more information on how to accumulate and track your CPD hours. Also see the CPD table below for a comprehensive description of CPD activities.

How do I keep track of my CPD hours?

We have had a number of members apply for and receive their free directory listing because they had accumulated a minimum of 20 CPD hours in the previous membership year. In verifying their CPD hours, a few things became apparent. We’d like to share these tips with you as this year (2024) we are all embarking on a CPD journey together.

1. Keep your own records: The PEG membership year starts on 1 March and ends on 28 or 29 February. This means that members must accumulate CPD hours during this period. And it is not permitted to carry over surplus hours from one year into the next. It is your responsibility to keep track of your hours. You may use any system that works for you but please note the name or the type of activity clearly, the date and the hours you may claim. There are two options you can download from this page: an Excel workbook or a Word document. (Please amend the dates if these are not accurate.)
2. Submit records only when requested: As a voluntary organisation we do not have the manpower to police everyone’s CPD hours. We are relying on your professional ethic and commitment. However, from 1 March 2025 and at the start of each new year, members who wish to have a directory listing will need to provide evidence of 20 CPD hours.
3. File your certificates for proof: Our webinar and accreditation administrator, who has offered to keep track of members’ webinar participation , but the other activities depend on you. Certificates are issued for webinar activities and upon completion of a mentorship. Please check the accuracy of any certificates you have (PEG and non-PEG).
4. Engage in a range of CPD activities: We are encouraged to see the extent to which members have already engaged in a range of learning opportunities. This makes accumulating your 20 hours quite manageable. Have a look at the CPD table on how to accumulate 20 CPD hours a year, both on this page and at the bottom of the Accreditation page on our website.
5. Know the difference between formal and discretionary hours: Formal hours are for activities that involve direct training and learning or PEG-related editing and proofreading. You claim for this time in full or, if you have presented an activity, you can claim more hours. Discretionary hours are calculated according to the time you need to invest in an activity in order to learn what you would otherwise in formal training. This means you have to divide the actual hours by either 3 or 5, depending on the activity, to get your claimable hours. Please see the CPD table on how to accumulate 20 CPD hours a year, which makes this distinction clear. (Note: national and regional learning activities are formal CPD hours but committee and other administrative meetings are discretionary hours.)
6. Use the updated CPD table: We have added activities and amended hours to increase opportunities to accumulate hours. Please be sure you have a copy of the updated table on how to accumulate 20 CPD hours. This is available both here and on the Accreditation page of the website.

Finally, we are doing this together and, in itself, this is a learning process. We welcome feedback about the process and we are here to help you find to ways to keep developing as a professional.

• For questions about the CPD or accreditation process, please get in touch via the Accreditation portfolio option on the Contact Us page.
• If you are interested in being mentored as part of continuing professional development, please get in touch via the Mentoring portfolio option on the Contact Us page.
• For more information visit the Mentoring website page.

Other frequently asked questions about CPD

• Does PEG keep track of member CPD hours?
• How many hours can I claim for webinar participation?
• Must every PEG member take the Accreditation Test?
• When is the Accreditation Test?
• What’s the difference between CPD hours for regional and national events?