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Personal Development Planning For Career Growth Training

SAQA US 117900 | NQF 2 | Credits 10 | Duration 7 Days
From $1,523 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to design and implement a personal development plan that aligns with their career goals. It enables individuals to assess their current competencies, identify growth opportunities, and take proactive steps toward professional advancement.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply self-assessment tools to evaluate current skills, strengths, and areas for development.
  • Analyze personal career goals and organizational requirements to identify development priorities.
  • Design a structured personal development plan with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives.
  • Implement the development plan by selecting appropriate learning activities and resources.
  • Evaluate progress against the plan and adjust strategies to ensure continuous improvement.
  • Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and career ownership through reflective practice.

Target Audience

This course is for professionals at any career stage who want to take ownership of their growth, including entry-level employees, mid-career staff, and managers seeking to support team development.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Personal Development

Objectives:
• Define personal development planning (PDP) and its importance for career growth
• Identify the key components of an effective PDP
• Recognise the role of self-awareness as the starting point for development
• Outline the SAQA framework and how this course aligns with Unit Standard 117900

Topics:
• Introduction to Personal Development Planning (PDP)
• The link between PDP and sustainable career growth
• Overview of the SAQA NQF and Unit Standard 117900
• The PDP cycle: Plan, Act, Reflect, Review
• The importance of a growth mindset
• Setting the context: The South African workplace landscape

Day 2: Self-Assessment and Career Visioning

Objectives:
• Conduct a comprehensive personal SWOT analysis
• Articulate personal values, interests, and skills
• Define a compelling long-term career vision and purpose
• Identify potential gaps between current state and desired future

Topics:
• Tools for self-assessment: SWOT, Skills Audits, Values Clarification
• Identifying core competencies and transferable skills
• Crafting a personal mission and vision statement
• Exploring career anchors and drivers
• Introduction to reflective journaling for self-discovery
• Recognising personal biases and blind spots

Day 3: Goal Setting and Strategic Planning

Objectives:
• Formulate SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) career goals
• Differentiate between short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals
• Develop a structured personal development plan
• Identify required resources and potential support systems

Topics:
• Principles of effective goal setting (SMART & CLEAR criteria)
• Creating a goal hierarchy and action plan
• Identifying development opportunities (training, mentorship, projects)
• Resource planning: time, financial, and educational resources
• Building a personal support network (mentors, coaches, peers)
• Anticipating and planning for obstacles

Day 4: Skill Development and Competency Enhancement

Objectives:
• Identify critical skills for current and future career relevance
• Select appropriate learning methods for skill acquisition
• Develop a learning pathway for priority competencies
• Evaluate the quality and relevance of learning opportunities

Topics:
• Analysis of in-demand skills in the South African context
• Formal vs. informal learning pathways
• Leveraging workplace learning and on-the-job training
• Introduction to micro-credentials and online learning platforms
• Creating a personal learning curriculum
• Techniques for effective skill practice and mastery

Day 5: Implementation, Action, and Progress Tracking

Objectives:
• Implement actionable steps from the personal development plan
• Apply time management and productivity techniques
• Monitor progress against planned goals and milestones
• Adjust actions based on ongoing reflection and feedback

Topics:
• From planning to action: overcoming procrastination
• Productivity tools and techniques (e.g., Eisenhower Matrix, Pomodoro)
• Creating and maintaining a development activity log
• Methods for tracking progress and measuring outcomes
• Seeking and utilising constructive feedback
• Managing energy and maintaining motivation

Day 6: Reflective Practice and Adaptive Management

Objectives:
• Apply reflective practice techniques to assess development experiences
• Analyse outcomes to identify lessons learned and insights gained
• Modify the personal development plan based on reflection and changing circumstances
• Develop strategies for resilience and adapting to change

Topics:
• Models of reflective practice (e.g., Gibbs' Reflective Cycle)
• Conducting a formal review of development activities
• Analysing successes, challenges, and unexpected outcomes
• Pivoting the plan: adapting to new information or opportunities
• Building personal resilience and agility
• Celebrating milestones and acknowledging growth

Day 7: Integration, Presentation, and Future Roadmapping

Objectives:
• Consolidate the complete personal development plan into a final, actionable document
• Present key elements of the plan clearly and confidently
• Establish a routine for ongoing plan maintenance and review
• Commit to a philosophy of continuous professional development

Topics:
• Finalising and documenting the comprehensive PDP
• Presentation skills: articulating your plan and goals to stakeholders
• Creating a personal brand and professional narrative
• Scheduling formal quarterly and annual reviews
• Exploring lifelong learning and continuous improvement
• Course wrap-up, assessment overview, and next steps

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Fri 11 Sep 2026 Mon 21 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Thu 01 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
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Tue 12 Jan 2027 Wed 20 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Mon 15 Feb 2027 Tue 23 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Fri 05 Mar 2027 Mon 15 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 11 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 17 Mar 2027 Thu 25 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 08 Jun 2027 Wed 16 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Tue 06 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 23 Jul 2027 Mon 02 Aug 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 09 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 29 Sep 2027 Thu 07 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 19 Oct 2027 Wed 27 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 08 Dec 2027 Thu 16 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 28 Dec 2027 Wed 05 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Tue 25 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 498 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 03 Aug 2026 Tue 11 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,929 Register
Tue 04 Aug 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,284 Register
Tue 04 Aug 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Lagos, Nigeria Winter 2026 $5,173 Register
Wed 05 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Johannesburg, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,283 Register
Thu 06 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $4,525 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Tue 22 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Fri 09 Oct 2026 Mon 19 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Thu 29 Oct 2026 Fri 06 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Thu 17 Dec 2026 Fri 25 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Wed 20 Jan 2027 Thu 28 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Tue 23 Feb 2027 Wed 03 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Tue 16 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 19 Mar 2027 Mon 29 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 25 Mar 2027 Fri 02 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 16 Jun 2027 Thu 24 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 06 Jul 2027 Wed 14 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Tue 03 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 17 Sep 2027 Mon 27 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 07 Oct 2027 Fri 15 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 27 Oct 2027 Thu 04 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 16 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 05 Jan 2028 Thu 13 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 25 Jan 2028 Wed 02 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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