Training growth shows rise of project management
The uptake of project management training has indicated a corresponding rise in the importance organisations place on the discipline, according to the growth of ILX Group in Australia.
ILX, now the largest provider of PRINCE2 qualifications globally, came to Australia following the Federal Government commissioned Review of the Australian Government’s Use of Information and Communication Technology by Sir Peter Gershon in 2008.
The release of the Gershon report provided the impetus for government departments and private companies to pursue PRINCE2 project management qualifications in this country, said Michelle Phillips, country manager for Australia and New Zealand.
“ILX had been considering the Australian market for a few years before we decided to establish a permanent presence here last year. This move has paid dividends as government departments, corporate companies and individuals embrace the opportunity to obtain project and program management qualifications via an e-learning or blended learning approach,” she said.
Australia is now the third largest market in the world for this accredited project management training qualification behind the UK and The Netherlands, with demand for MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments version 2), and P3M3 (Portfolio, Programme, and Project Management Maturity Mode) qualifications.
In 18 months, ILX now counts major government departments such as the Australian Electoral Commission, AusAID, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the Department of Climate Change as clients, as well as a number of universities and commercial entities.
“Government departments recently strongly endorsed staff undertaking best practice methods, such as MSP and PRINCE2, and P3M3 qualifications. This has impacted on senior personnel looking for opportunities to raise their project and program management qualifications, further driving demand for ILX’s courses,” said Phillips.
ILX’s Australian turnover for the six months to 30 September 2011 reached $1.8 million, on track to achieve an estimated $4 million this financial year.
Within the next five years, ILX plans to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Southern Africa to add to its book of more than 5,000 clients across 97 countries.
