Help improve your CPD count - local events for professional project managers

As a professional project manager, attending local events hosted by the Association of Project Management is a direct way of reaching the 35 continuing professional development (CPD) hours required by the association.You’ll also get the chance to network as well as learning more about the topic itself.

The APM’s website offers several evenings in the south west area in the next few months including ‘Make risk management work’ in Oxford on Dec 1st, ‘Using enterprise architecture to support programme delivery’ in Swindon on 18th January and ‘Project Assurance Reviews’ in Bristol on 31st January.

Look at the APM’s website to find out about membership with groups including South Wales and West of England and the Midlands group. Alternatively national special interest groups include Contracts and Procurement and Value Management. A chance to meet up with contacts in different industries can be a valuable asset in your professional role and career. More on APM’s events at www.apm.org.uk/events

How did you gain your facilities management experience?

It's vital to be clear about your specific facilities management career experience when applying for a new position. An article in FMX Magazine, looking at issues in the facilities management industry, discusses how many professionals came into the role through another route and may have had all their training on the job.

"Facilities managers tend to not have formal FM-related qualifications, so you find yourself looking solely at their experience and current position," says one of the industry experts quoted in the article entitled 'The Talent Deficit'. The British Institute of Facilities Management are encouraging more higher education establishments to offer degrees and other qualifications in facilities management. Industry is also encouraged to offer specific graduate placements.

For all staff in the profession though, there are encouraging words to end with, "Because if one thing is clear, it is that first-rate FM professionals, however they acquired their skills, are as much in demand as ever." Read the full article at www.fmxmagazine.co.uk

Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2011

What do a reliability engineer from PEME Process Control, an aircraft engineering officer from the Army Air Corps and a systems engineer from GE Aviation Systems all have in common? They are three of the eight finalists in the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards 2011.

The winner is due to be announced at a ceremony on Dec 1st organised by the Institute of Engineering and Technology and sponsored by GCHQ, Siemens and Intel amongst others. The award is to "honour the very best female engineers under the age of 30 working in the UK today," according to the IET."It seeks to highlight the achievements of women in engineering and to encourage others to enter the profession."

The ceremony, at Savoy Place in London and hosted by Mylene Klass, is free to attend (register online for a place) with opportunities to network and visit career displays from the event's sponsors. More details from www.theiet.org/events/2011/ywe.cfm

First international project control conference in London

Project control management comes of age with the first international Project Control Conference on 9th and 10th November.

University College London hosts an event welcoming planners, cost estimators, quantity surveyors and project support managers amongst others with a program of technical presentations, training sessions and academic contributions. Covering all industries interested in dealing with the best informed and trained project control professionals, delegates are expected from the oil, gas, aerospace, transport, pharmaceutical, and construction sectors.

Organisers describe the event as “the most important event for those working within the spectrum of Projects Controls, not just from an educational perspective but also in terms of building a network and exploring career opportunities. Speakers will include some of the industry’s top experts.” Sponsored by Oracle, ICS-Global and the Association of Project Management amongst others. Full program and details at www.projectcontrolsexpo.com