Why CPD? Why on-line?

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Why CPD? Why on-line?

We spent a lifetime learning so you don’t have to.


I have worked in the water and environmental sector for forty years. After graduating with a BSc, my first jobs were in the Anglian Water Authority and I believe that my industrial “apprenticeship” took almost ten years. Then I was appointed Scientist for Water Supply, a regional position, and implemented the first European Drinking Water Directive in the region. My “apprenticeship” equipped me to re-align the regional sampling programme, to negotiate derogations with the Department of the Environment and to develop several water treatment strategies. These were immensely formative times.

My training followed the traditional path of management courses at training centres but technical courses were limited. Developing my technical knowledge and competencies was based on occasional conferences (particularly institutional meetings) and much on-the-job learning. That’s why it took so long! In those days, we had no internet and not much more personal computing power than a calculator. How things have changed!

I then moved on, setting up my own technical consultancy which I ran for fifteen years, working for around 80% of the UK’s water authorities and companies as well as water utilities in Ireland and Portugal. The consultancy projects spanned drinking water, wastewater, industrial effluent and environmental management. Yet more on-the-job training.

My next chapter was a six-year spell at Swansea University, as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering. I had the opportunity to design, develop and then direct two Master of Research degree programmes and got to grips with Learning and Teaching committees, academic scrutiny by Faculty, as well as keeping both students and the External Examiner happy. The University provided the appropriate foundation to set up an International Research Network in my specialist technical field, with EU funding; over four years this grew with 27 European countries represented, as well as Canada, the US, the WHO and the EC’s Joint Research Centre. Then back into consultancy, but with a stronger international focus with projects in Canada, Ireland and the US.

Exhibiting at the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association’s national conference in October last year, supported by colleague Helen Clay-Chapman, we received a lot of positive feedback to our ideas about distance learning and mentoring. Before we flew back to the UK, we spent almost two days discussing our way forward; this was when youlearnwater was conceived. We realised that on-line training for continual professional development in specialist topics was needed and could harness much of the knowledge of the UK’s water sector, following 40 years of modernisation, providing a fast-track for the professional development of today’s managers and supervisors, world-wide.

After many months of hard work, we have developed a website linked to a Learning Management System and forged a working partnership with IWA Publishing. All of our courses are accredited by the CPD Standards Office in London. Our course handbooks are published by IWA Publishing and they offer a 20% discount on all their books to anyone who undertakes a youlearnwater training course.

So the scene is set and youlearnwater now has its first specialist training courses available with many more to come in 2015 and 2016. Courses are available from any device that connects to the internet (PC, laptop, tablet, smart-phone), making it possible for learners to learn when and where they want to. Courses are supported by a Course Handbook, exercises and assessment tests, and delivered by a state-of-the-art Cloud-based LMS.

I believe that the combination of extensive practitioner knowledge and modern information technology is a powerful one. CPD training for the 21st Century!

Join us at www.youlearnwater.com

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