Mott Macdonald achieve 89% pass rate on their recent APM PMQ exams

Q Describe the specific challenges or needs that led the company to seek project management training courses. What gaps or deficiencies were identified in the existing project management processes, and how were they impacting the organisation’s performance or outcomes?

A The need to enrol our employees in project management training arises from our commitment to upskill individuals and assure our clients of our employees’ qualifications. Formal training is a fundamental part of our project management career development pathway, providing a recognised platform for employee development from both technical and non-technical backgrounds.

We strive for technical and advisory excellence, which not only provides confidence to clients but also enables our professionals to make a real impact across the profession and maximise social and societal value. By presenting a recognised platform for employee development into project management across a range of sectors, including buildings, transport, environment, advisory, education and health, we aim to address several challenges.

Firstly, there is a need to ensure that our employees have the latest project management knowledge and skills. This upskilling is crucial for maintaining our standards of excellence. Secondly, we must demonstrate to clients that our employees are suitably qualified and capable, which is essential for client assurance. Additionally, offering a clear pathway for career advancement within project management is important for Mott MacDonald as we employ brilliant people and empower them to do brilliant things.

Maintaining a high standard of service and expertise is vital for our clients so we can solve their challenges. Finally, our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming client businesses, communities, and employee opportunities.

These challenges highlight the importance of project management training. The training helps us maintain our standards of excellence and ensures that our employees are well-equipped to handle the complexities of their roles, ultimately impacting our performance and outcomes positively.

Q Detail how the company addressed its challenges by enrolling employees in project management training courses. Specify the type of training program(s) selected, the duration of the training, and any customised elements tailored to the company’s specific needs or industry.

A Mott MacDonald is a corporate partner of the Association of Project Management (APM) which enables our employees to benefit from a recognised institution for training, membership and a global network of knowledge sharing for those starting out their careers in project environments and well-established project practitioners in all elements of a project.

We want to ensure that we provide the right level of training for our employees, so we opted in for cohorts of the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) and Project Management Qualification (PMQ) with Training ByteSize. These cohorts were each five days in length, with delegates taking their exam on the last day.

We also liaised with Training ByteSize on the enrolment process and added an additional step which required all potential delegates to pass a PFQ Mock Exam before being added to our training waitlist for PMQ training. This helped to ensure all individuals had the fundamental knowledge required to attempt the APM PMQ course.

Q Please outline the decision process you followed when choosing your training provider. What led you to book the courses with Training Bytesize? How has your experience been with Training Bytesize throughout this project?

A We met with multiple providers of PMQ to discuss our needs for the training. We ultimately chose to go with Training ByteSize for multiple reasons:

1. We have always felt like a valued customer of Training Bytesize and any questions we have were always answered in a timely manner. Victoria is always incredibly accommodating with anything we needed and works with us closely as a partner
2. The idea of the PFQ Mock Exam implied to us that Training Bytesize understood our needs and the problems we were facing and had an idea of how we can address them.
3. Training Bytesize’s pass rates of the course.
4. Value for money – Training ByteSize provide us with a value for money training solution.

All feedback that we have received from our PMQ cohorts this year have been overwhelmingly positive, with all delegates praising Callum’s delivery of the training. These positive experiences have reinforced our decision to choose Training ByteSize as our training provider.

Q Provide measurable outcomes or results achieved as a result of the project management training courses. This may include improvements in project efficiency, effectiveness, cost savings, employee productivity, or other key performance indicators.

A The in-person PMQ training with Training ByteSize has significantly enhanced the quality of our project management training offering to our employees. This improvement is reflected in the feedback we have received, which has been notably positive. Additionally, the training has provided an opportunity for our project management community to network, fostering a sense of collaboration and shared learning.

Q Outline how the project management training courses were implemented within the organisation. Include information about the number of employees trained, the training delivery method (e.g., online, in-person), and any logistical considerations or challenges encountered during implementation.

A The PFQ has been easy to implement utilising Training Bytesize’s eLearning solution. This enables our colleagues to work through the content at their own speed and take the exam when they’re ready.

The PMQ has been implemented primarily with in-person classroom Mott MacDonald cohorts; with virtual classroom training offered for those who need some flexibility. We run cohorts based on demand; so that colleagues can access the training at the right time. The PMQ is a key element to becoming a APM Chartered Project Professional. To date, we have over 130 Chartered Project Professionals (ChPP), making us the fourth-highest globally in terms of ChPPs. This achievement reflects our commitment to supporting the professional development of our project managers through the PMQ and ChPP programmes.

For PMQ, in particular, our enrolment processes are geared to giving our colleagues the best possible chance of passing the exam. This includes making sure that colleagues are supported throughout the qualification, but also that they have the prerequisite knowledge and experience to embark on the course.

Q Summarise the key takeaways from the case study and reiterate the benefits of project management training for the company. Did Training Bytesize have a positive impact on organisational performance, employee skills development, and overall business success.

A The implementation of the PMQ training with Training ByteSize has been a positive and productive experience. Their team’s willingness to assist and promptly address any requests has been commendable.

The in-person PMQ training has elevated the standard of our project management training, leading to positive feedback from participants. The training sessions have provided a platform for our project management community to connect and share knowledge, fostering a sense of collaboration and shared learning.

Our employees have benefited from the training, gaining valuable project management knowledge and skills, which in turn has positively impacted the overall business success. The training has also had a positive impact on our clients, as they can be confident that our project managers are well-trained and capable of delivering high-quality results. This has strengthened our client relationships and reinforced our reputation for excellence.

Training ByteSize has played a significant role in this process, and their impact on employee skills development, and overall business success has been positive. The partnership has helped us address our training needs effectively, ensuring that we continue to have brilliant people doing brilliant things. We look forward to continuing this collaborative relationship and achieving even greater success in the future.

Overall, working with Training ByteSize on our PFQ and PMQ delivery has been a very positive experience. We are now offering a course of high quality and value that is exemplified by the delegate feedback following each cohort. The training offered has helped to upskill our employees’ knowledge of project management and ultimately progress their careers.