Key Points
- The Association for Project Management (APM) is calling on the UK Government and industry to create stronger routes into project careers for young people, including those not in education, employment or training (NEETs).
- The call comes as demand for project skills is increasing across artificial intelligence, infrastructure renewal, clean energy, defence, housing and digital transformation.
- APM’s report, The Importance of Reskilling and Upskilling to Meet Project Workforce Demand, calls for a more coherent national approach to project skills, including stronger early-career pathways and wider access to recognised professional qualifications.
- APM wants the Growth and Skills Levy reformed so employers can use funding for recognised professional qualifications and certifications supported by industry.
- The organisation proposes that a proportion of entry-level project roles, apprenticeships and trainee project management positions on major projects should be reserved for NEETs, subject to minimum requirements.
- Other recommendations include reviewing Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes, creating a 10-year local project pipeline strategy and making project management a clearer career pathway for young people.
- APM says professional standards could give employers greater confidence that early-career workers are developing recognised project competence.
- The report identifies workforce pressures, with 54% of project professionals concerned about having the right skills to deliver projects successfully and 57% saying their organisations are concerned about skills shortages.
- APM also cites research showing that 61% of business leaders do not believe there are enough project professionals in the talent pipeline to sustain emerging sectors.
- Artificial intelligence is adding to the skills challenge, with APM reporting that 88% of project managers identify AI capability as the most important skill for the next five years.
The Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, has called on the UK Government, employers, training providers and professional bodies to use major national projects as a route into employment for NEETs and early-career workers. The appeal follows the publication of APM’s report on reskilling and upskilling the project workforce and comes as the organisation highlights increasing demand for project skills across infrastructure, clean energy, defence, housing, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
Why is the Association for Project Management calling for more routes into project careers?
As reported by FE News, in an article published on 24 September 2026 and authored by the Association for Project Management, APM is urging Government and industry to take action to help more young people enter project careers. The FE News article identifies APM as the source of the recommendations and reports that the organisation believes the UK risks missing a generation of potential project talent while employers face increasing demand for skills.
APM’s position is set out in its report, The Importance of Reskilling and Upskilling to Meet Project Workforce Demand. According to FE News, the report argues that the UK needs a more coherent national approach to project skills.
The approach proposed by APM includes stronger early-career pathways, broader access to professional qualifications and targeted support for people who are not in education, employment or training.
The organisation links this workforce issue to the delivery of projects that are expected to support the UK’s economic and social priorities. The sectors identified in the report include AI, infrastructure renewal, clean energy, defence, housing and digital transformation.
What does APM want the Government and industry to change?
According to FE News, APM is asking Government, employers, training providers and professional bodies to work together around six main areas.
First, it wants the Growth and Skills Levy to be reformed so employers can fund recognised professional qualifications and certifications supported by industry.
Second, APM proposes mandating a percentage of entry-level project roles, apprenticeships and trainee project management positions for NEETs, while retaining minimum requirements for those positions.
Third, it wants the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes and associated occupational mapping to be reviewed and updated.
Fourth, APM is calling for a 10-year local project pipeline strategy designed to help ensure that skills and employment opportunities remain in the regions where major projects are being delivered.
Fifth, the organisation wants project management to become a clearer and more visible career pathway for young people.
Finally, APM says professional standards should be used to give employers confidence that people entering the profession at an early stage are developing recognised project competence.
Together, these proposals are presented by APM as a way of connecting the UK’s major project requirements with the development of a future workforce.
How could major national projects create opportunities for NEETs?
APM’s recommendation specifically concerns major Government-backed projects. According to the report as covered by FE News, when Government launches major programmes, project delivery organisations should be required to reserve a proportion of entry-level roles, apprenticeships or trainee project management positions for NEETs.
The projects identified include infrastructure programmes, digital transformation initiatives, NHS modernisation projects, housing developments and net-zero schemes.
APM says this approach would connect large-scale project delivery with employment pathways for people who are currently outside education, employment or training.
The report states that such measures could help reduce economic inactivity, improve social value outcomes and accelerate the talent pipeline into the project profession. These are APM’s stated objectives rather than an independent assessment of the likely impact of the proposal.
The recommendation would therefore place early-career opportunities within the planning and delivery of major programmes rather than treating workforce development as a separate activity.
What did Harvey McCabe say about the project workforce?
Harvey McCabe, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at APM, said the UK’s ability to deliver major projects should be accompanied by efforts to develop the next generation of project professionals.
In comments published by FE News, McCabe said APM’s concern was that young people, including NEETs, were outside the labour market while employers were simultaneously experiencing difficulty finding the skills required to deliver projects.
McCabe said Government-led projects should create more visible and supported entry routes into project professional careers. He specifically pointed to entry-level project roles, apprenticeships and trainee positions as potential routes for NEETs to gain practical experience.
According to McCabe’s statement, APM believes reserving a proportion of these opportunities could address economic inactivity, support social value objectives and provide young people with practical experience from which they could progress.
McCabe also backed reform of the Growth and Skills Levy. He said allowing employers to use the levy for industry-backed professional qualifications could help develop the capabilities required by the UK project workforce.
He further identified professional membership bodies such as APM as having a role in setting standards, supporting employers and making project careers more accessible, inclusive and future-ready.
Why does APM believe professional qualifications and the Growth and Skills Levy matter?
The Growth and Skills Levy is another major element of APM’s recommendations. The organisation wants levy funding to be usable beyond apprenticeships so employers can pay for recognised professional certifications.
According to FE News, APM argues that extending levy funding in this way could help employers develop long-term capabilities needed to deliver complex projects while giving individuals recognised pathways towards project leadership roles.
The proposal therefore connects two workforce objectives: helping people enter the project profession and enabling existing workers to continue developing their skills.
For employers, recognised qualifications could provide a structured way of developing project capability. For people entering the profession, APM says recognised certification could provide a clearer route towards progression.
The organisation’s report places these measures within a broader reskilling and upskilling strategy rather than presenting entry-level recruitment as the only response to the workforce challenge.
What does the report say about the UK’s project skills shortage?
APM’s report highlights several indicators of workforce pressure.
According to FE News, recent research cited by APM found that 54% of project professionals are concerned about having the right skills to deliver projects successfully. The same research found that 57% said their organisation was concerned about a lack of skills needed to deliver current projects.
The figures point to concerns at both individual and organisational levels. Project professionals are considering whether they possess the skills required for successful delivery, while organisations are also reporting concerns about their available capabilities.
APM additionally identifies a longer-term talent pipeline issue. FE News reports that 61% of business leaders cited in the research do not believe there are enough project professionals in the talent pipeline to sustain emerging sectors.
This concern is significant in the context of the organisation’s wider argument because many of the sectors identified as important to the UK’s future require people who can plan, coordinate and deliver complex programmes.
How is artificial intelligence changing project management skills?
Artificial intelligence is another factor identified by APM as increasing the urgency of workforce development.
According to FE News, APM’s report says 88% of project managers identify AI capability as the most important skill for the next five years.
The report’s focus on AI does not mean that technical AI knowledge is the only skill required in project management. Instead, APM highlights a combination of digital and professional capabilities.
The skills identified include digital confidence, ethical awareness, communication, stakeholder management and risk awareness. The organisation also points to the ability to operate in complex delivery environments.
This reflects the changing nature of project work as AI becomes increasingly relevant to business and operational processes. For people entering the profession, the skills mix described by APM therefore extends beyond traditional project planning and administration.
Which sectors could benefit from stronger project career pathways?
APM’s recommendations cover a broad range of major national programmes.
The areas specifically identified in the FE News report include infrastructure, digital transformation, NHS modernisation, housing, net-zero schemes, clean energy and defence. AI is also highlighted as a factor changing the skills required by project professionals.
These sectors involve different technical requirements, but project management is relevant across them because major programmes typically require structured planning, resource coordination, risk management, stakeholder engagement and delivery oversight.
The proposal for a 10-year local project pipeline is also intended to connect future projects with regional skills development. APM says this could help keep local skills in the regions where projects are being delivered.
The emphasis on local pipelines means the discussion is not limited to national workforce numbers. It also concerns how skills development and employment opportunities are distributed geographically.
What role could employers and professional bodies play?
APM’s recommendations involve more than Government action. The organisation calls for collaboration between Government, employers, training providers and professional bodies.
Employers would have a potential role in creating entry-level positions, apprenticeships and trainee project management roles, as well as supporting recognised professional development.
Training providers could contribute to the development of skills pathways and qualifications, while professional bodies could establish standards and support employers in assessing developing project competence.
According to McCabe’s comments reported by FE News, APM sees membership bodies as having a role in setting standards and supporting employers while helping make project careers more accessible and future-ready.
The proposal therefore treats project workforce development as a shared responsibility rather than an issue for one institution alone.
What could clearer project career pathways mean for young people?
APM is calling for project management to become a more visible career pathway for young people.
At present, people entering the workforce may associate project management primarily with an established professional role rather than a career that can be entered through apprenticeships, trainee positions and other early-career routes.
APM’s recommendations seek to make those routes more visible. The proposed combination of entry-level roles, apprenticeships, professional certifications and standards is intended to provide a structured progression from early employment towards more advanced project responsibilities.
The focus on recognised competence is also intended to give employers greater confidence in the capabilities being developed by early-career workers.
For organisations delivering major programmes, this approach would link recruitment and skills development with long-term project workforce planning.
Why is reskilling becoming important for the future project workforce?
The workforce challenge identified by APM is not limited to recruitment. The organisation’s report also focuses on reskilling and upskilling.
Project requirements can change as technologies, regulations, delivery models and organisational priorities evolve. The emphasis on AI capability in APM’s research illustrates one part of that change.
At the same time, project professionals require interpersonal and management capabilities. APM’s identified skills include communication, stakeholder management, risk awareness and ethical awareness alongside digital confidence.
This combination means workforce development involves both technical and professional capabilities.
For employers, the issue is therefore not simply finding people to fill vacancies. It also involves maintaining and developing the capabilities required as projects become more complex and as emerging sectors expand.
How does the APM proposal relate to project management skills development?
The APM recommendations place project management skills development alongside employment pathways, professional standards and major-project planning.
For organisations and professionals involved in Project Management, structured development can cover areas such as project planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, project controls, leadership and delivery processes. The connection is particularly relevant where major infrastructure, digital, housing, energy or transformation programmes require coordinated project teams.
The workforce issues raised by APM also demonstrate why professional development can be considered alongside recruitment and early-career pathways. The report identifies concerns about current skills and the future project professional pipeline, while also highlighting changing requirements associated with AI.
For people seeking to understand project delivery methods and professional responsibilities, structured learning in Management and Leadership can also provide relevant foundations around leadership, communication and organisational decision-making.
The Association for Project Management’s proposals ultimately centre on connecting major project delivery with a stronger pipeline of early-career and developing professionals, while expanding opportunities for recognised skills development.
What happens next for the proposals?
The FE News report presents APM’s recommendations as a call for action involving Government, employers, training providers and professional bodies. The proposals include changes to skills funding, occupational classifications, local project planning and access to early-career roles.
APM has specifically linked the proposals to major national projects, including infrastructure programmes, digital transformation, NHS modernisation, housing and net-zero schemes.
APM Urges UK Government to Create Project Careers for NEETs
Whether and how individual recommendations are adopted would depend on decisions by the relevant organisations and policymakers. The FE News report itself records APM’s position and recommendations rather than announcing that all of the proposed measures have already been adopted.
The immediate issue identified by APM is the relationship between the UK’s project ambitions and the availability of people with the skills to deliver them. Its report brings together concerns about current workforce capability, future talent pipelines and changing skills requirements as AI becomes more important.
The organisation’s call for more entry routes for NEETs and early-career workers is therefore presented within a wider workforce strategy covering recruitment, professional qualifications, occupational standards, regional planning and continuing skills development.
For employers and professionals involved in major programmes, the discussion highlights the importance of project capability at every stage of the workforce pipeline. For young people outside education, employment or training, APM’s proposal places major projects at the centre of a possible route into professional careers.
As this discussion increasingly connects project delivery, workforce planning, digital transformation and leadership development, Project Management and Management and Leadership remain relevant areas of professional skills development for people working with or preparing to work on complex projects.