Ipswich-based Concertus Design & Property Consultants is to provide additional support to Kesgrave High School Academy, so that it can continue to run an accredited course in project management skills. Kesgrave has been delivering “An Introduction to Project Management for Secondary Schools – A Hands on Approach” for the last three years and is the first school in the UK to run the course, which has been assessed for accreditation by the Association for Project Management.
Over recent years, Concertus has been working with the academy on building schemes and is now offering financial support to run the course and whilst its project managers mentor, advise and help students.
Carl Lockwood, Director at Concertus said: “We are pleased to offer our support to the school and strengthen the APM accredited project management course offered to year 12 and 13 students as an enrichment option. This is an innovative step in delivering a course that will give young people a key differentiator on their CVs. It will also set them up with the skills transferable into their adult life and careers and, if completed successfully, it will give students a unique qualification on their CV which no other student in the country can currently achieve.”
Steve Hardman is a qualified project manager and also a School Governor at Kesgrave High. He commented: “With the support of Concertus, we will be able to continue to offer a practical work-related course that will arm the students with a universal set of skills which will be of benefit in any job or industry or indeed in everyday life.”
“Project management touches all aspects of life. For instance, have you ever organised a party or a small expedition with your mates? Are you thinking about a gap year? All these require project management skills ranging from defining your overall end goal, to what resources will be needed, who the key stakeholders are, what needs to be done, when and how to manage the issues, barriers and risks that may stop success.”
Dave Green is science teacher at Kesgrave and recently went through the reaccreditation process, where the school was “congratulated on their achievement” by the APM. He commented: “The project management sessions will take the students through a simple set of the mostly common sense steps to delivering a winning outcome. If successful, they will gain a fully recognised accreditation that will make their CVs stand out from the crowd.
“You never know one day one of them could be managing a project to deliver the 2032 Olympic Games!”
Photo: Nina Napolitano project manager at Concertus and Dave Green science teacher at Kesgrave, with APM course students Adam Fox, George Allen, Ben Friar, Andrew Kernan and Liam Hicks.
