Professional Development

(Non-contractual policy.)

Our Commitment to Development

Acoustics is a specialist field and keeping your knowledge and skills up to date is important — both for you and for the quality of work we deliver to clients. The company actively supports professional development.

Institute of Acoustics (IOA)

The company will pay your Institute of Acoustics membership fees at the appropriate grade. If you are not yet a member, we will support your application.

IOA membership gives you access to technical publications, networking events, and professional recognition. We encourage you to participate in IOA activities where practical.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

All technical staff are expected to maintain a CPD record in line with IOA requirements. This includes:

• Attending relevant training courses, seminars, and conferences.
• Reading technical papers and guidance documents.
• Participating in internal knowledge-sharing sessions.
• On-the-job learning from project work.

The company will support and fund CPD activities that are relevant to your role. Discuss your development plans with Mike Wood — we will agree a proportionate programme each year.

Training Courses

From time to time, the company will identify specific training needs and arrange or fund appropriate courses. These might include:

• IOA Certificate or Diploma courses.
• Specialist short courses (e.g., environmental noise modelling, building acoustics).
• Health and safety training (e.g., CSCS card, working at height, asbestos awareness).
• Software training.

If you identify a course you would like to attend, discuss it with Mike Wood. Where the company funds a significant training course, we may ask you to sign a training agreement: if you leave within a specified period after the course, you may need to repay a proportion of the cost.

Career Progression

We use a clear set of consultancy grades — Acoustics Technician, Associate, Senior, and Principal Acoustic Consultant — to frame roles and the path between them. These are set out in the next section, Job Roles and Responsibilities. We are a small company, so progression is based on demonstrated competence and the relevant qualifications rather than time served alone: as your experience and capability grow, we will look at expanding your responsibilities, moving you to the next grade, and reviewing your salary accordingly.