For busy insurance professionals, CPD can easily feel like one more item on the to-do list. But a look at what's trending on Connect, the Institute's eLearning hub, and what's coming up this October tells a more interesting story. Members aren't just collecting hours. They're choosing learning that sharpens the knowledge they use every day, and some of it is genuinely enjoyable.
Here's how they're making CPD count, and how you can too.
1. They're going back to first principles
Two of the most popular courses on Connect right now are Application of the Principle of Contribution and Application of the Principle of Subrogation. These are the foundations of how claims are settled and how costs are recovered.
Revisiting them a few years into your career is a different experience from first learning them for an exam. You bring real files and real questions to the material, and that's when it clicks.
2. They're keeping pace with a changing market
The General Insurance Market Update and Private Medical Insurance Market Update are also trending on Connect. Clients and colleagues expect you to know what's happening now, not what was happening when you qualified.
For anyone working in commercial lines, the upcoming webinar Construction PI in Focus: CIRI, market change and what Insurers need to know (Thursday 15 October, 1pm) is a timely example. It looks at the move to the statutory CIRI regime, why contractor competence, registration and compliance matter more and more to insurers and brokers, and what that means in practice for underwriting, risk selection and claims.
3. They're going deeper on specific products
Home Contents Policy Cover and Private Car Underwriting round out the trending list. The home contents course, for example, covers what counts as contents and how that differs from valuables, the general exclusions and conditions, and the extensions of cover available, all in 1.5 hours.
There's room to explore further afield too. Dental Insurance – The Big Picture (Thursday 1 October, 1pm) looks at global oral health challenges, dental insurance plans, the regulatory framework and fraud. And the Yacht and Small Craft Insurance eLearning course covers vessel types, available coverages, and policy inclusions, limitations and exclusions. Niche? Maybe. But broadening your product knowledge is one of the simplest ways to become the person colleagues come to with questions.
4. They're getting out and meeting people
Some of the best CPD happens in a room with your peers, and the Local Institutes have some standout events coming up this month:
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Sligo CPD Day (Tuesday 13 October, Radisson Blu, Rosses Point): up to 4 CPD hours, plus a healthcare representative from CROI on hand to offer free health checks.
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AI in Insurance, Limerick (Wednesday 14 October, Castletroy Park Hotel): a 2-hour workshop with Brightbeam on how AI can support you in your role to achieve the best outcomes for customers.
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Solomon Fine Art Gallery Tour, Dublin (Thursday 15 October, 5pm–7.30pm): a private tour of the gallery's exhibition of a recent sculpture by Eilis O'Connell, with a talk on insurance-based risk in the art world.
Learning about fine art risk in a gallery on a Thursday evening? That's CPD that doesn't feel like a chore.
5. They're using every route available
Our weekly lunchtime webinars are back on the calendar, but they're just one way to reach your CPD target. Members are making the most of all the options:
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Complete eLearning at your own pace. Modules on Connect fit around your week. The CPD Essentials Refresher Path, for example, delivers 4 hours in a single path, including 1 hour of ethics.
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Sit and pass an exam. Your studies pull double duty. You can record 8 hours of CPD for each successfully completed APA or CIP exam, provided you're subject to CPD requirements when you sit it.
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Deliver or research a CPD webinar. Sharing your expertise with fellow members counts too, and it's one of the best ways to deepen your own knowledge.
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Supervise an apprentice. If you're supporting someone on the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship, you can earn up to 7.5 hours a year for signing off their case study assignments.
Hours vary by activity, so check the full breakdown in the CPD Scheme document on Connect.
Make this year's CPD count
Log in to Connect to see what's trending, register for upcoming webinars and events, and track your progress. You'll find the CPD Scheme under Search Courses → Resources → New Member Resources → Documents → CPD Scheme.
And remember, your CPD hours need to be completed by 31 December, and your Annual Return submitted in your CPD portfolio by 31 January.