‘Project Μanagement’ is often cited by employers as a desirable skill; as such, it offers students more opportunities to find the job they want. We’ve also seen a rise in the need for several other skills, particularly post-pandemic, such as the ability to work well in a hybrid environment. More recently, there’s been a growing need for graduates to be able to use data analytics tools and for greater awareness around AI. Leadership skills and emotional intelligence are also becoming increasingly important to prospective employers.
We think professional qualifications in general give students an edge in the employment market. As well as helping to make them aware of the market’s expectations around their employability, obtaining a professional certification definitely makes a graduate’s CV stand out. Therefore, we incorporate professional certifications into the Business School’s curriculum whenever there’s an opportunity, such as including PRINCE2 as part of our MSc Project Management course.
I haven’t seen the figures for the whole year yet but judging by the first quarter we’re seeing strong growth in demand for PRINCE2. In terms of our offerings, we’re also seeing a slight increase in demand for Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) . This is possibly because those who have achieved PRINCE2 are now looking for the next step, and PRINCE2 feeds into MSP.
We have evidence that students who achieve these qualifications tend to be employed – or at least shortlisted – immediately after graduation. We invite some of our alumni to events to meet new students and tell their own success story; explaining the importance of taking professional certifications while they’re studying for their course.