Developing Australia’s project managers – Urgent skills to meet urgent national priorities

Australia's critical skills shortage is one of the challenges threatening the country's progress in delivering new projects including infrastructure, housing and net zero.

And this is putting more pressure on higher education and registered training organizations (RTOs) to provide students with practical skills and knowledge -- notably in project management -- to contribute to the nation's workforce needs.

While the country's five-year major public infrastructure pipeline of government projects totals $213 billion, Infrastructure Australia said that delivery was challenged by skills shortages as well as productivity issues and increased costs.

Among the top 20 occupations facing skills shortages -- according to the latest data from Jobs and Skills Australia -- are those needed to support the country's national priorities, including construction project managers, project builders, software engineers and developers/programmers.

Backing up this finding, a 2024 report in Australia's public sector news site, The Mandarin, noted the "critical shortage of more than 370,000 digital experts and digitally enabled workers", strong demand for cyber security skills and the need for "highly experienced project managers to lead complex projects" such as large government and defence initiatives.

At the time of writing, Melbourne-based online employment marketplace, Seek, is promoting more than 22.5k project management jobs in Australia, with a forecast of job growth of more than 10% in the next five years.

Project management:
Bringing visions to life

The importance to Australia of having professionals with the capability to manage and deliver major projects is acknowledged at parliamentary level. Addressing the Australian Institute of Project Management National Conference in October 2024, David Smith MP, said: "Project management drives our progress in ensuring that our ideas are not just visions...from the development of our infrastructure to healthcare services, our responses to climate change and national security, project management provides the structure, leadership and foresight to bring these plans to life."

Developing critical workforce skills – the need for speed

Part of the skills development problem in Australia highlighted by Jobs and Skills Australia is the "large cluster of occupations in shortage that have a long lead time for training". This, the organization added, demonstrated "the importance of the vocational and educational training (VET) and higher education sectors "in supporting the pipeline of qualified and skilled workers".

A National Skills Agreement to enhance the VET sector, now 12 months in operation, is providing $3.7 billion over five years to address skills and workforce shortages.

But how is the Australian higher education sector responding to this skills and labour shortage and what role are PeopleCert best practices playing?

John Knott, Director -- Global Academic Partnerships at PeopleCert, said: "Higher education is increasingly focused on aligning courses with Australia's urgent need for vocational and technical skills."

For example, as well as catering to undergraduates, universities' workforce education departments are creating relevant programmes to help professionals already in work upgrade their skills.

Saif Samaan, Training Manager at CCN Academy in New South Wales said: "Higher education institutions and RTOs have a vital role in addressing the workforce demands for project management skills. By designing and delivering industry-relevant, practical, and up-to-date programmes, we can equip students with the tools and methodologies needed for real-world project success.

"This involves integrating certifications like PRINCE2 Project Management into their curricula, offering accelerated learning pathways and emphasizing hands-on experience with project scenarios."

John Knott added: "Short courses and micro-credentials, such as PRINCE2 Project Management and ITIL for technology professionals, give professionals access to globally recognized and validated best practices. These are transformational for individuals' knowledge and skills and the success for organizations delivering projects or other change and improvement programmes.

"With the current level of demand for project managers in Australia, getting people trained and certified in PRINCE2 Project Management is an obvious way to plug the skills gap."

PRINCE2 Project Management:
More capable project professionals and successful projects

A survey conducted for PeopleCert by Phronesis Partners among more than 400 PRINCE2 Project Management-certified professionals found that almost half of those surveyed (45%) cited "improved project management skills" as the number one competency achieved via PRINCE2 Project Management, with more than a fifth (21%) noting enhanced leadership and communication skills. In terms of skills improvement, almost half (44%) found the method helped project planning and control while 20% saw enhancements to their risk management skills.

On an organizational level, 86% of project managers certified in PRINCE2 Project Management said it had enabled projects to be delivered on time and 92% pointed to delivering within project scope. Almost half (44%) noted an improvement in structured project planning and control, with more than 70% seeing improvements in time management, project efficiency and risk management.

Saif Samaan added: "Micro-credentials like PRINCE2 Project Management and ITIL offer a flexible, focused and accessible way for learners to gain in-demand skills --providing students with a competitive edge and demonstrating their commitment to professional growth.

"For existing professionals, they enable skills enhancement and career progression without requiring long-term study commitments. And, for employers, these certifications validate that candidates have a standardized and practical understanding of critical methods, improving organizational efficiency and project outcomes.

"In an increasingly dynamic job market, micro-credentials bridge skill gaps and ensure workforce readiness, making them an invaluable asset for all stakeholders."

John Knott added: "By integrating qualifications, universities and RTOs can increase programme attractiveness and welcome more learners; improve student employability and align workforce programmes with best practice and employer demands."

The growing interest and demand among Australia's higher education sector to embed micro-credentials in their offering to undergraduates and existing professionals is a significant step towards delivering the skilled workforce the country is crying out for.