Project Me: the future of the profession

We ask project professionals what their hopes and expectations are for their careers and the future of the profession

The future is bright

Craig Scott ChPP, Senior Project Leader, Eurofighter

I believe the future is incredibly bright, particularly with APM heavily promoting Chartered Project Professional (ChPP); this opportunity to become chartered demonstrates the right for project management to be internationally recognised within its own right. With project management taking a focus on more modern methodologies, I hope that the profession can fully nurture the transfer from mainly software‑focused project management into a hybrid approach with manufacturing and/or traditional project management. I aspire to work with universities to offer fully robust development plans, from an introduction to project management on a route‑map towards achieving ChPP, which I believe organisations would strongly benefit from.

Plenty to be excited about

Aisha Cajee, Project Manager, Turner & Townsend

Being a young non‑white female in construction means that there is plenty for me to be excited about. I aspire to be a director sitting alongside a diverse workforce. I also see opportunities for the industry to diversify to the point that it is no longer obvious that I work in ‘construction’. Not only because of the people, but also the nature of projects and clients we take on. The chance to contribute to sustainable projects will be a personal success, but it is also about accelerating the revolution of industries and mindsets to make a positive long‑term environmental, economic and technological impact.

Elevate the profession

Jane Clayson ChPP, Head of Digital Delivery, York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

My career started in banking. I didn’t even know what a project manager was! My path took me through the public and private sectors and into project delivery. I’ve spent my project professional career trying to raise the bar, highlighting the need to treat the work with the professional approach required to make it successful. Too often I’ve seen corners cut, project management work given to those with a substantive day job to just ‘add it on’, and project management regarded as an overhead to be minimised. I hope that I can help continue to bring about the requisite change still needed to elevate the profession to realise the benefits of its effective application and the growth of a future workforce.

Deliver positive benefits for society

Jacob Cooper ChPP, Associate Director, Management Consulting, KPMG

The environment we live in today is one of increased uncertainty and constant change, and the need for interventions across all of society is significant. Whether it be helping to combat climate change, achieving net‑zero carbon, modernising healthcare, transport, and infrastructure, or helping to deliver defence capabilities more efficiently, the diversity of projects will be vast. For project professionals, I think this provides a huge opportunity to develop and deliver projects and programmes that can result in a real positive benefit for society, and provide long‑lasting benefits for millions of people’s daily lives. As a result, I see the need for, and recognition of, the project profession continuing to grow. This will provide a great career opportunity for existing and emerging project professionals.

More help is given

Kolawole (Daniel) Odediran, Project Manager, ASDA Technology

Starting my project management journey at university, I had very little help and most of the knowledge I acquired was gained through extensive research and from helpful lecturers and mentors. My hope is that APM or similar organisations are more successful in providing help to students in similar situations. Every time I travel, I see adverts for project management courses at universities or companies offering services to aid with qualifications. While this might be useful, my expectation for the future will be the development of other engaging methods to communicate the necessity of the profession. I am currently noticing a great wave of diversification in the roles and opportunities being created – my hope is that this will continue.