Accelerating digital transformation is high on the corporate agenda amongst all industries and functions across the globe. A recent study from Gartner found that 80% of CEOs are increasing digital technology investments. Digital transformation is here to stay, accelerating as organizations rely more on technology to drive innovation and outcomes.

Technology industry is under pressure to find talent and equip them with essential skills for current and future success. But how do we unlock the employee experience with a future-focused vision? By putting the employee career journey at the heart of your L&D strategy. 

Reskilling and upskilling can sound like buzzwords, but there are significant benefits to taking a learning and development (L&D) approach to the employee’s career journey. A recent Glint survey found that 97% of workers want to continue investing the same amount of time – if not more – into their professional development. This means that workers desire to learn and showcase skills to drive personal and business outcomes.

As a project professional, I’ve championed project management learning in my organisation to take the employee experience to a new level. Focusing on project management training can support the career journey. 

Project management training: unlocking skill longevity & value

Driving change at a rapid pace needs an array of knowledge and skills. Bringing together cross-functional teams to achieve this is usually the domain of project managers, who have become the first point of call to usher in change initiatives. It’s no surprise that project managers are so in demand; Project Management Institute’s (PMI) latest Talent Gap survey shows that the global economy needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030. 

Why does this matter? If we want to show our people that we are serious about progressing their careers, then let’s provide valuable L&D opportunities that will serve them in the long run. Upskilling employees in areas that are not just in demand now – but also in the future – is a career-enhancing opportunity. 

At CGI, we recognised an opportunity to improve the employee experience by offering in-house formalised project management training and certification to all employees – not just those with ‘project’ in their title. Project management is becoming a core skill set – especially as work is increasingly being executed in this way.

PM training also offers many skills that budding leaders need to progress in their careers. Project professionals and leaders need similar skills in their toolkits, such as communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and strategic thinking. Through quality project management training, teams can acquire technical, business acumen, and interpersonal skills to boost their career progression prospects. 

How to show employees you are all-in for their career journey

Being intentional about creating a career journey culture means demonstrating to your people that you are serious about their long-term career prospects. 

This was a critical consideration when rolling out our project management training company-wide. Having witnessed the client demand for certified project professionals, CGI deduced that it would be vital for our employees to have the training and a widely recognised and career-enhancing certification. 

We needed to find the right partner to bring value to our member’s career journey vision. We decided to team up with the leading organisation for the project profession – Project Management Institute (PMI) – as it echoed our strategy to have established and recognised partners who would stand the test of time.

Project management doesn’t require industry body recognition, unlike other professions. Partnering with professional associations signals intentional investment in employees’ future.

Professional Certifications: Boosting Employee Confidence and Competence at CGI

CGI follows industry benchmarks and best practices, providing certified standards of training and credibility for employees and clients. Partnering with organisations that set the benchmarks and standards for the profession acts as a confidence and competence booster. As agile and hybrid ways of working are becoming increasingly prevalent, we chose to prioritise Project Management Professional (PMP)® and PMI Agile Certified Professional® certifications, giving our people the tools and knowledge to determine the best way of working and increase their versatility. Distinguished learning foundation motivates employees, as industry recognizes global qualifications.

Offering employees the chance to join a professional association is another way to demonstrate career-centricity and enhance the employee experience. Networking and learning from professionals enriches the profession with frontline experiences and knowledge. At CGI, we encourage our teams to join a professional practice community. Providing a discount on PMI membership is a tangible way to boost their long-term professional standing. 

Key Takeaways

Creating an inclusive project management training environment has been the key to empowering our employees to take charge of their career development. Understanding the future of work and matching that with skills-based training is crucial to select your organisation’s L&D focus. 

Establishing this culture of excellence that benefits individuals for their entire career journey has been no easy feat. Being intentional about the execution has certainly brought our member-centric strategy to life. The result creates a supportive and inclusive career-building environment embedded into the organisational culture.

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