Project management skills are highly transferable, which means that they are valuable no matter what position you hold – even if you don’t work in a project manager role. You can find yourself applying project management techniques in a range of industries, from construction sites to IT departments.
Many organisations value project management skills, and there is a 6.1% projected job growth over the next five years for project management, so it has never been more important to learn and refine your skills.
With sound project management skills, you can oversee large-scale projects, handle the timeframe and deliverables on a range of jobs, and manage successful projects right through to completion.
If you want to learn new skills or formalise your existing skills, undertaking a project management course is a great way to get the latest training and experience. As project management tools and techniques are constantly changing, refreshing your knowledge is an essential way to stay ahead of the curve.
What do you learn in project management courses?
The role of the project manager is to coordinate the many moving parts of a project to ensure its success, all the way from the beginning through to delivery of the project. The multifaceted nature of the role means that the skills and practical techniques you learn will be just as varied.
The exact units of study you learn will vary depending on the course you undertake, but some of the key things you will learn include:
- Planning and managing project scope
- Time management techniques
- Cost management and budgeting
- Risk management
- Procurement procedures
- Communication techniques
- Stakeholder engagement
Developing soft skills like communication and time management are valuable not only in project management but in a range of applications. When you are equipped with these tools, you will be able to work autonomously, manage your own time, build greater working relationships, and know how to juggle multiple resources and demands.
Whether you want to develop your skills for your current role or for transitioning into a new career, a project management course is the perfect way to prepare you.
Career expectations for project management
If you’re considering taking a project management course online, you are likely looking at what work outcomes you can expect. While your skills can be transferable to a range of roles, some of the careers that people can expect in project management include:
Project Administrator
Junior level roles in project management can include Project Administrator or Project Team Member. These roles are an integral part of overall project success, even if they don’t manage tasks personally. They usually handle the administrative functions for projects and programs, supporting the daily functions of the project. Their work helps to ensure deadlines and compliance requirements are met.
Site Supervisor
Site Supervisors usually oversee projects within the construction and building industry, coordinating the daily operations on worksites. They work to ensure that timelines and budgets are met, as well as compliance with health and safety guidelines, depending on the work environment.
Program Manager
The role of Program Managers is usually to supervise and organise a program of projects within an organisation to ensure that they align with project and company goals. They are generally responsible for coordinating the teams for each project and managing issues so that each project achieves overall success.
Chief Operating Officer
Senior roles like COO take on a lot of responsibility within individual projects as well as the overall success of the company. The role of COO is usually the second highest-ranking executive in a company, and reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). They will use project management skills across a range of applications and to help achieve their main responsibility of overseeing end to end business operations.
Other careers
Some other career prospects from project management courses include:
- Project Management Office Executive
- Capture Manager
- Senior Project Manager
- Project Management Office Executive
- Contracts Officer
- Site Supervisor
- Project Manager
Best courses for project management
The Certificate IV is ideal for individuals who want to develop their skills and understanding of project management. They will learn to support wider project operations and can use the skills they learn to support organisational or business activities in general.
OPEC College offers this course via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and study.
The Diploma of Project Management is perfect for individuals within project leadership and those looking to hold more responsibility in achieving project objectives. This course will teach you to use a range of specialised, technical and managerial competencies to initiate, plan, execute and evaluate your own work and work within the project.
OPEC College offers this course through RPL and study.
The Advanced Diploma course is ideal for professionals looking to formalise their project management skills and demonstrate initiative and judgement to direct, plan, and lead a range of program functions, with accountability for personal and team outcomes within broad parameters.
We offer this course through RPL only, so you can submit your prior skills evidence at your own pace.
Do you have questions about our project management courses and what you can expect? Talk to our friendly team today.
