The world of project management is constantly changing as organizations look to build capability and capacity through the use of improved project management tools and introducing industry best practices. Due to this evolutionary environment, a project manager that wants to stay at the top of their game needs to be willing to upskill wherever possible to ensure they are providing value and filling an effective role for their organization.
One of the best ways to improve one’s skills is to engage in professional development, certified academic and professional courses that give PMs a deeper understanding of techniques and processes critical to their role.
A big problem, however, can be figuring out which professional development courses to follow and what difference they can make. Here we look at some of the best courses for project managers looking to upskill.
1. Certified Project Director
Globally recognized and seen as one of the most well-respected project management credentials, this certification from The Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM) is created for experienced PMs who wish to move to the next level in their field. Competencies are focused towards overseeing teams of project managers or multiple projects. If you are considering moving up to be a program manager or project director then this definitely a course to consider.
- IMS Oracle Primavera P6 Professional Project Management Course
This course from Innovative Management Solutions will help attendees to master the widely functional but considerably complicated functionalities of Oracle’s Primavera P6 software. As it is used across a considerable cross-section of industries, proficiency in Primavera P6 will also broaden a project manager’s horizons if they are considering branching out into another field.
3. PMITS: Project Management in IT Security
IT security has become a huge area of importance for project management. Not only is it vital to understand IT security but it has also opened up considerable opportunities for project managers who would like to specialize in the field. This certification from the EC-Council University will improve one’s knowledge of IT security as well as providing a framework to build a project’s IT security plan upon.
One of the core competencies of project management is leading a team successfully. This course from the Project Management Institute seeks to build a PM’s capacity to get a team working together towards the same goals while also getting the most out of its individuals. It will also explore working with remote teams, issue resolution and team building.
Agile methodologies are increasingly common in project management across nearly every sector. For PMs who want to expand their understanding of Agile and Scrum practices and to be able to demonstrate this to potential employers then this course from the non-profit Scrum Alliance is the perfect certification. It will put you in contact with other Scrum and Agile practitioners and provide the opportunity to enhance your knowledge of best practice in your specific setting.
- Stakeholder Identification and Analysis
Stakeholders and stakeholder management is an important role for any good PM to master, but identifying who they are and their level of importance can be a challenge. By attending an online course in Stakeholder Analysis and Identification you will improve your speed and capacity in identifying the stakeholders in your project and how you should prioritize their needs and concerns.
Located in the UK? Check out Ten Project Management Short Courses in the UK.
