What Is A Project Management Course?

What is project management training?

Before we can explain what project-management training is, we first need to explain what project management is and what a project manager is. The PMI (Project Management Institute) defines project management as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements, and they define a project manager as the person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives. The International Project Management Association emphasises the development of competence and they define project management competence as the relevant knowledge, skills and abilities to manage a project.

Project management training then is any programme or course that develops the knowledge, skills and abilities that project managers – and also other team members – need to manage and execute projects well. Nowadays project management courses are increasingly being presented online.

It is important to note the role of experience in developing project management skills and abilities. Project management training courses that include practical assignments in the workplace as part of the courses are best, as such practical application is essential in developing the essential skills and abilities. More theoretical courses that simply transfer knowledge should be avoided.

Why study project management?

Project managers are in high demand globally.

Many years ago already, Fortune Magazine referred to project management as their “…career number 1…” choice while the Project Management Journal predicted in June 2003 that “…middle management positions are on the endangered list and may soon become extinct, giving way to a new bree, the new species in the corporate jungle: the project manager.” The Harvard Business Review emphasised the potential that project managers have to climb the corporate ladder by stating that “…the ranks of senior executives will be filled by people capable of integrative leadership, with a rich background of getting things done through projects”.

In 2018, before the COVID pandemic, the PMI (Project Management Institute) estimated that 1,570,000 new project management jobs were added every year and they stated that there were not enough project managers to fill these positions. Since the pandemic, Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez mentioned that, in this decade, the world will see more projects than ever because the trillions of funds that have been promised for pandemic recovery are millions of projects that will require millions of project managers. It is estimated that by 2027, some 88 million people around the world are likely to be working in project management and that the value of the project-oriented economy will have reached US$20trillion. According to McKinsey, project management is one of the top three skills that companies prioritised in 2020 to address through reskilling (the other two are (a) leadership and managing others and (b) critical thinking and decision making – aspects that are related to project management and that are typically addressed in project management courses).

Studying project management is therefore an excellent way of preparing yourself for future work opportunities and career development.

Why study the PPM or the online short course in project management at the University of Pretoria?

The value of any training course is determined by the standing of the institution that awards the certificate. The Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) at the University of Pretoria is the undisputed leader in project management research, education and training in Africa. The GSTM is responsible for these courses that are administered by Enterprises University of Pretoria (EUP) while the University of Pretoria issues certificates of successful completion to all successful candidates. Such a certificate is therefore very valuable on one’s CV.

These courses are recognised by the international Project Management Institute (PMI), ECSA, SACPCMP, SACNASP and Project Management South Africa. ECSA (the Engineering Council of South Africa), for example, awards 5 CPD points (Continuing Professional Development points) for completion of any of these courses while the international PMI awards 20 PDUs (Professional Development Units) for completion of the online short course and 100 PDUs for the PPM.

These courses have furthermore been attended by tens of thousands of individuals over the last 25 years or more and that means that these courses are well known in the South African job market.