Whilst KnowledgeBrief has been leading the way with our leadership and management courses, one area that was noticeably absent was that of project management. Although there were aspects of project management in all the team leader, department leader and senior leader courses there had never been a dedicated project management apprenticeship. Based on this and the desire and feedback from apprentices it was agreed in early 2024 to launch the first project manager apprenticeship.
Many people who start this course may already be doing projects within their role but far too often we hear the same comment: “We don’t really have a dedicated structure or team devoted to project management and everything we have been doing to date is more ad-hoc. With companies ever more reliant on project managers and governments expected to spend more than $10 trillion on reconstruction projects in the next 10 years, it is clear that there is a definite need to have people not only trained up in project management but trained up effectively and expertly so that they understand the fundamentals of what it is to be a project manager.
“The course has already had a direct impact on how I manage projects at work and the level of detail required. My work have got it in mind that I will be taking over all future projects and managing them from inception to completion so learning about the theories and applying them to real world scenarios has been a game changer.”
The course at KnowledgeBrief has been designed with this approach in mind. It gives you the fundamental knowledge of how to manage projects whilst also stretching you to apply the theories efficiently within your organisation. It is delivered by a team of experts who have been involved in the world of project management for over a decade, in sectors ranging from the government, the police and the Financial Times.
New project management standard revision
Until April 2024 the project management course had as part of its end point assessment the requirement to complete and pass the APM PMQ. This exam was notoriously difficult with a national pass rate of just over 50%. As you can imagine this led to a lot of frustration from apprentices who were unable to pass the exam as it meant that they would have to be withdrawn from the apprenticeship. However, since April of this year the new L4 APM course has removed the exam element and instead focussed on a project proposal and a portfolio of evidence. We feel that this will be a huge relief for a lot of apprentices and will also mean that the course is not just about passing an exam but rather true application of the material and theories.
What sets our course apart from others is that it has been designed by subject matter experts who have actually lived and experienced the world of project management. Our skills coaches have their apprentice’s success at the forefront of all of their teaching and workshops and are continuously adapting the course based on apprentice feedback. This in turn allows for the course to be as tailor made for each apprentice as possible.
“Can I just say what a brilliant workshop it was today. I came to it not knowing anything and I have come away knowing so much about Project Management and how to complete a Business case. I feel that the presentation was very good and I felt very engaged in the whole workshop. I think that the breakout room was interesting and good to hear other people’s ideas and thoughts.”