The Association for Project Management (APM) has released a new report examining training for project professionals
The Association’s new report finds that construction training and reskilling need more coordinated approaches, especially in the face of skills shortages and the NEET crisis.
The report examines current methods and issues, and proposes potential solutions to address them and improve the transition into the industry.
Every sector needs a better plan, says the report
APM say that a more coordinated approach to training and retraining is needed across construction, infrastructure, energy, and defence. They are calling for the government to reform skills-funding plans and establish a stronger 10-year pipeline strategy.
The report gauged the opinions of project professionals, and found that 54% of professionals are concerned about having the right skills to deliver projects successfully, and 57% say that their organisation is concerned about the same.
More than 50% of businesses have reported difficulties in finding the right project management skills in 2024, up from around a third in 2019. Coupled with the >50% of professionals aged 55 or over planning to stop working or semi-retire within three years, the emphasis for many firms is on having enough skilled workers to continue work, and the loss of many skills.
The APM report lists several recommendations for both government and industry
The report lays out five recommendations for government and one for the industry. The government recommendations are as follows:
- Professional project management competence should be recognised as a transferable foundation for reskilling and workforce mobility – Individuals with strong project capability can apply those skills across sectors, with sector-specific knowledge added through targeted induction, technical training and supervised practice. This approach reflects the reality that it is generally more achievable to teach sector context to an experienced project professional than to develop advanced project leadership, controls, governance and delivery capability from scratch within a sector specialist.
- Introduce a 10-year local project pipeline strategy to ensure local skills stay in the regions – To provide greater certainty and continuity in the delivery of infrastructure and development projects across the UK. By establishing a long-term programme of work at regional level through Combined Local Authorities, contractors and training providers can invest confidently in skills development, apprenticeships and workforce planning. A predictable pipeline of projects will help retain skilled workers within their regions
- Reform the growth and skills levy to support funding for professional qualifications that are supported by industry – Expanding the use of levy funding so that employers can pay for recognised professional certifications, not just apprenticeships. This would help employers develop the capability needed to deliver complex projects while providing individuals with recognised pathways into project leadership roles.
- Mandate a percentage of NEETs are upskilled to work on new government-led projects – When the government launches major projects such as infrastructure programmes, digital transformation initiatives, NHS modernisation projects, housing developments, or net-zero schemes, government-led projects should be required to reserve a percentage of entry-level roles, apprenticeships, or trainee project management positions for NEETs, subject to minimum requirements.20 This would reduce economic inactivity, improve social value outcomes, and help speed up the talent pipeline in the project profession.
- Review and update Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes and associated occupational mapping – To ensure that project support, project management, project controls, project delivery and programme leadership are recognised as distinct and visible occupational pathways, rather than being subsumed within broad management or leadership categories or being narrowly defined in specific sectors. Clearer classification would improve labour market intelligence, enable more accurate identification of transferable skills, and support targeted reskilling and upskilling interventions for individuals moving into project roles from adjacent sectors or occupations.
The recommendation for the industry is to change the mindset and culture of project skills training, ensuring that the younger generations have a chance to upskill and work with professionals on projects, maintaining transfer of vital knowledge to the next generation.
The full report can be read here.
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