Project Management

Learning Programme Content

The Learning Programme provision shall comprise of three mandatory elements:

• Qualifications,
• Essential Skills
• On/off the job training

The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Pathway Project Management is 138 credits.

Entry requirements

There are no mandatory entry requirements for this Higher Apprenticeship Pathway. However employers are looking to attract apprentices who have a strong interest in, or practical experience of, a career in project management. In addition, they expect applicants to demonstrate a "can do" attitude and have good numeracy, literacy and communication skills on which the Apprenticeship will build.

Entrants will come from a diverse range of backgrounds and will have a range of experience, age, personal achievements and, in some cases, prior qualifications and awards which may count towards achievement of an Apprenticeship.

Examples may include learners who have:

• held a position of responsibility at school or college
• achieved Regulatory Qualification Awards, Certificates or Diplomas
• achieved GCSEs or A levels

• achieved a Welsh Baccalaureate, including any of the Principal Learning Qualifications at foundation and higher level

• completed Level 3 Apprenticeships from a wide range of sectors including Construction,

Engineering, IT, Telecoms, and Retail

• holders of existing project management qualification such as APMP, PMP andPRINCE2©

Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)

Level 4: Project Management

Level 4: Project Management Qualifications

Participants must achieve one of the following combined qualification(s) below.

Please see Annex 1 for the relationship between the competence and knowledge units within the combined qualification.

Essential Skills Wales (ESW)

Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh

On/Off the Job training

On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

120 credits for the combined competence and knowledge qualification, made up of: a minimum of 30 credits of knowledge and a minimum of 90 credits of competence

The minimum training hours for the Project Management Higher Apprenticeship is 853 hours.

It is expected that the Apprenticeship will last a minimum of 24 months

On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

• 6 credits/60 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Communication
• 6 credits/60 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number
• 6 credits/60 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Digital Literacy

Progression

Level 4: Project Management

Progression into the Project Management Higher Apprenticeship

Progression into this Higher Apprenticeship may be from a wide number of routes due to the varying backgrounds and past academic and work related experiences of apprentices. Such routes might include having:

• achieved a Level 3 Apprenticeship in a range of sectors including Construction, Engineering, IT, Telecoms, and Retail.
• achieved Regulatory Qualification Awards, Certificates or Diplomas in a sector specific or business-related area
• achieve GCSEs or A Levels
• achieved a Welsh Baccalaureate, including any of the Principal Learning Qualifications at foundation and higher level
• achieved a project management qualification such as APMP, PMP and PRINCE2©

Learners may also progress into the Higher Apprenticeship without prior qualifications.

Progression from the Project Management Higher Apprenticeship

Higher apprentices, with support and opportunities in the workplace, can progress onto:

• a range of Project Management and other qualifications, including those at level 5 and above, and those accredited internationally
• higher education to undertake Project Management or other qualifications, including Degrees or Masters in Project Management
• Further employment opportunities within their current job role/alternative job roles
• Associate membership of professional bodies, including the Association for Project Management (APM)

With additional training, higher apprentices may be able to progress in their careers into more senior Project Management roles.

Equality and diversity

It is important that apprenticeship Pathways are inclusive and can demonstrate an active approach to identifying and removing barriers to entry and progression. Pathways should advance equality of opportunity between persons who share protected characteristics and those persons who do not as identified in the Equality Act 2010.

The Protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity. Marriage and civil partnership is also included although only in respect of the requirement to eliminate discrimination in employment.

Training providers and employers must also comply with the other duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against in terms of entry to the industry based upon those nine protected characteristics.

According to the Office for National Statistics, approximately 30% of the UK’s Project

Management professionals are female and 70% are male. 25% of project managers are aged 18-34, 9% are aged between 35 and 49 years old, 26% are aged 50 or above (Source: Arras People Project Management Benchmark report, 2012).

Apprenticeships are seen as a vital route to encourage and facilitate a diverse set of individuals entering into Project Management.

Entry conditions to this Pathway do not discriminate against any individuals, with the Pathway being open and accessible to all potential apprentices.

Mentoring is also promoted within the Apprenticeship to provide additional support and increase the chances of apprentices staying.

Although it is difficult to accurately estimate the size of the project management workforce due to variations in how project management is classified across different industries, it is estimated that in 2011 there were 80,000 project managers in the UK (Source: Arras People Project Management Benchmark report, 2011).

It is anticipated that the demographic of Project Management Apprentices will bear similarity to Management Apprentices, given the similarities in the target audiences and the pan sector nature of both Apprenticeships.

Recent statistics produced by the Institute for Employment Studies shows that Management Apprenticeship starts are dominated by women (63.3% of all starts).

The number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic apprentices is 9.8%, which is roughly in line with the population as a whole. 10.3% of Management apprentice starts are recorded as having a disability (above national representative numbers), whilst 3.4% of apprentices record having a learning difficulty, which shows some under-representation when compared to the population as a whole.

Instructus Skills continues to monitor take up and achievement of all Apprenticeships through its Advisory Groups and continues to take steps to address any barriers to take up and achievement as part of its Qualification Strategy (February 2018).

Employment responsibilities and rights

Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory.  But it is recommended that all apprentices (especially the 16 years -18 year group) receive a company induction programme.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Training Provider and Employer to ensure that the requirements of this pathway are delivered in accordance with the Welsh Government Apprenticeships Guidance.

 Further information may be obtained from: Welsh Government

DfES-ApprenticeshipUnit@gov.wales

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