This research surveys and analyzes the current conditions of Continuing Professional Development (hereafter, CPD) of Korea’s highly represented professions, medical doctors, professional engineers, lawyers, and accountants, in order to execute in substantiating and activating plans. This research then looks at the CPD of domestic and international certified professionals by examining precedent studies in countries like Korea, the United States, and Great Britain. It specifically analyzed and collected materials on CPD of doctors, professional engineers, lawyers, and accountants from advanced countries like the United States, Germany, and Japan. It looked at the composition of contents and problems of CPD that domestic and international certified professionals face with by providing detailed information through 'Current Situation Analyzing Framework for CPD of Certified Professionals'. A conference was organized in order to bring up many opinions on the current situation, problems, and prospects of CPD. To know the current situations of advanced countries, we sent 'Current Situation Analyzing Framework' to the representatives in charge of each country's qualification association, and telephone conferences were held in order to examine the procedures and detailed information on CPD if it was necessary. A final conference was held to gather all the information researched.
This research presented details based on the 'Current Situation Analyzing Framework for CPD of Certified Professionals' that have looked into its current conditions. First, Korea's highly recognized professions started CPD much later than the rest of the advanced countries, where the CPD for doctors and accountants in Korea started during 1980s, while professional engineers and lawyers started during the 1990s. Second, the amount of time needed to be certified varies from each certified professionals ranging from 8 hours to 40 hours, and this indicates how the efforts to have a logical and systematic approach in finding an appropriate length of education has been insufficient. Third, the way the contents of penal clauses are selected for CPD is insufficient due to the lack of consistency and relevance. Fourth, there are professions that have curriculum, while some do not, and so, it needs to execute need analysis to develop such curriculum, but it systematically has not been taken place. Fifth, an internal mechanism is being executed in order to control quality of education contents. Sixth, there are different methods used to deliver education and training such as formal education, informal education that includes seminars, presentations and participation of academic conferences, and non-formal education methods like internet, video, DVD, mail and fax, which are all being accepted as part of CPD. Seventh, along with the institutions that implement CPD for four professions, there are other institutions that have been executing education training. Eighth, in order to develop CPD, it has been making plans like increasing the number of advertisements and mobilizing e-learning plans to encourage participation.
...