Members of the Project Management Mentoring Programme (PMMP), an engineering and construction mentoring programme, will have access to even more professionals from across the industry
The construction mentoring programme has recently launched its tenth cohort of mentors and mentees. Over the next eight months, senior industry mentors will share their knowledge and experience with developing project managers.
The PMMP is run by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) with help from the Project Management Steering Group (PMSG). The programme was launched in 2014 for project managers within the oil and gas sector.
The PMMP launched two more programmes for managers in the nuclear and engineering and construction sectors. Content on power generation, renewables, food and drink, water treatment, and chemical and pharmaceutical sectors were included in the courses.
Who can qualify for the construction mentoring programme?
To participate in the Mentoring Programme, applicants must have a PMQ / APMP / IPMA Level D (or equivalent) certification and a minimum of three years of relevant experience. Candidates without these qualifications can access the course if they have five years or more relevant experience.
“Combining the three programmes allows the cross-fertilisation of ideas across sectors as well as opportunities to develop cross-sector relationships. Project management is broadly the same in whichever sector you are in,” said Andy Brown, interim chief executive of the ECITB.
“By broadening the scheme across these sectors, we improve the opportunities for people to be mentored by mentors who have different experiences of various phases of the project life cycle. This is another excellent example of how industry cooperation works for the benefit of the industry as a whole. It is a great opportunity for both mentors and mentees alike,” he continued.
So far, there have been 168 pairings across 62 companies. Many of the companies involved are striving for chartered status with professional bodies such as the Association for Project Management (APM).
The programme connects people across sectors
The mentoring programme uses an anonymised pairing system to match mentors and mentees. In this year’s cohort, professionals from the oil and gas sector are mentoring project managers in the nuclear industry and vice versa.
“The scheme is fantastic and so special. It is run on a voluntary basis to share knowledge and experience with a new generation of project managers,” said project manager Alan Glennie, a mentor on the programme.
“But I also get so much from it. Like most mentors, I’ve kept in touch with my mentees and maintained professional ongoing relationships with them,” he added.
The programme intake consists of 37 mentors and mentees. The course will run until December 2023.
