The Australian defence industry is experiencing the biggest recapitalisation ever in peace time. This means demand for suitably qualified and experienced personnel in Project Controls has increased and will continue for many decades.

In a typical commercial market where demand is increasing but supply is not growing proportionately, there is only one natural outcome – the price increases. Typically that cost is passed onto the customer, but this is not sustainable.

If you cannot Buy what you need, you have to Make. But what do you do, if there is no formal qualification in the Vocational Educational and Training market for the skillset you are looking for? Sometimes the solution requires a change in thinking.

BAE Systems Australia engaged other defence contractors, professional bodies, other project management industry businesses and CASG to demonstrate that we face a common problem that requires a common solution.

Despite unexpected delays (including a global pandemic), BAE Systems announced in March 2021 this new qualification exists: 10924NAT - the Certificate IV in Project Controls in Practices.

Two pilot courses have run in 2021, with representatives from some of the above organisations participating as a reward for their willingness to support. Having a group as diverse as this coming together to attend a formal training course is in itself a rare and unusual occurrence.

The benefits are many but here are the top five:

• It raises the bar in industry by professionalising the discipline, setting a benchmark that one day will become the minimum requirement.
• It drives common understanding and practice by basing the qualification on the Australian Standard for Earned Value Management.
• It invests in people, ensuring they are not just trained but qualified which helps to create a pathway to solving a problem for the Australian Institute of Project Management.
• A formal qualification allows employers to attract funding for traineeships in the discipline.
• It demonstrates to the Defence customer our willingness to collaborate and drive an ‘Outside the Box’ solution to a common, multi-industry challenge.

Like all journeys, each step leads to another, and we look forward to what comes next. The potential exists for a Diploma in the discipline, or even a degree-based equivalent, leveraging off existing qualifications in universities across the globe.

With professionalisation comes pride, purpose and the sense of personal satisfaction from a job done well.

This session is sponsored by: