A new e-learning academy has been launched to help current and aspiring project managers develop their skills in the engineering construction industry.
The PMSG Academy has been developed by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) Project Management Steering Group (PMSG) and is hosted on the organisation’s Learning Experience Platform (LXP).
The academy features 27 courses in its first phase, covering four areas of the Association for Project Management’s (APM) Project Management Competency Framework: people and behaviours; planning and managing deployment; preparing for change; and setting up for success.
The courses were selected from the LXP’s library of more than 30,000 e-learning courses by a working group comprising PMSG members, industry professionals and the ECITB’s LXP team. They were then peer-reviewed by 12 employees from Subsea7, with participants ranging from graduates and mid-career professionals to senior project managers.
David Manson, business manager at Altrad Sparrows and chair of the working group, said project management was a discipline that some people entered without formal coaching or a clearly defined career path.
“There’s a wide breadth to the role of being a project manager, so it’s valuable to share knowledge and tools to help raise awareness of what the different skills entail,” he said.
Manson added that while the academy does not provide a formal qualification, it could support people at different stages of their careers, from new starters to experienced project managers looking to refresh their knowledge.
The academy is being launched in two phases, with the second phase allowing content to be developed further as skills gaps and development needs emerge across the industry.
Easy-to-access modules
Craig Bean, project manager at Subsea7 and one of the peer reviewers, said the bite-sized nature of the LXP’s courses made them easier to fit around project work.
“As a project manager, it can be difficult to find time for training and development,” he said. “The LXP’s bite-sized modules were easy to access, and I was able to fit these into my week without having to rearrange my calendar.”
The LXP, launched in January 2023 and so far, more than 140,000 courses have been completed by workers across 195 engineering construction employers, representing more than £5m in value to industry.
Matt Knights, ECITB director of regional operations, said: “Ensuring the industry is equipped with skilled project managers is vital to ensure projects are completed on time, within budget and to the expected quality of work.”
The PMSG Academy is initially available to employers within the ECITB’s funding scope, with the organisation hoping to make it available more widely in future.
