Why is the PRINCE2® Foundation certification a game-changer for my project management career?

Find out how the PRINCE2® Foundation certification can help you to upskill, enhance your project management career and improve your earnings.

Get ahead in your project management career with the PRINCE2® Foundation certification

Project management is a skill that is in significant demand by employers all around the world. According to a survey conducted by AXELOS in 2017 in The Future Project Manager Report, around 76% of the respondents voted that project management will become a basic business skill which will be used by everyone within the world of work.

Plus, it looks like there’s no sign of it slowing down any time soon. In fact, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) expects up to 22 million new project management job openings from 2017 through to 2027; a growth of 33% across seven project-orientated sectors.

The best way to acquire project management skills and know-how is by getting certified. The PRINCE2® Foundation certification of project management offers a standardised, flexible and introductory approach that clearly lays out the roles and responsibilities of each team member involved in managing and supporting a project.

Below is a graph taken from the AXELOS 2016 PRINCE2® Report showcasing how taking the PRINCE2® certification proved to be valuable to people within their career:

The same report also surveyed whether learners found PRINCE2® to be valuable to their current role. The results were as follows:

The method itself divides the master project plan up into project plans, stage plans and team plans, eliminating any ambiguity regarding processes throughout. Ultimately, getting certified in this method will make it easier for project management professionals to execute their projects going forward, improving their career prospects in the process.

Once qualified, you’ll have learnt a wide variety of key skills which can be implemented within job roles such as Project Manager, Project Administrator, Scrum Master, Project Director, Product Owner or any wider management role.

Enhance your earnings with the PRINCE2® Foundation certification

As well as improved job opportunities – over 90% of those who’ve undertaken a PRINCE2® certification have found it to be valuable to their career – studies have also shown that having the certification will help to significantly improve your earning potential.

In 2017, The Association of Management found that professionally certified project managers can expect to earn 20% more on average than their non-certified counterparts, and employment agency Reed has found that jobs looking for PRINCE2® Foundation qualified candidates offer an average annual salary of at least £32,000.

This rises even higher when further levels of the certification and training are undertaken, with Reed suggesting that this could rise to around the £50,000 per year mark.

So, not only will this certification be attractive in the short term, but there are also a number of longer-term financial benefits of a PRINCE2® qualified career.

What will this level of the PRINCE2® Foundation certification help me to achieve?

PRINCE2® qualifications are recognised and respected all around the world, so aside from reinforcing your skillset to potential employers domestically, it will also open up a number of opportunities across the globe.

Completion of the PRINCE2® Foundation qualification will allow you to start applying for Project Administrator and Project Coordinator positions right away, but it will also stand you in good stead for the next level of the certification; the PRINCE2® Practitioner level.

This next step will teach you how to fully integrate and apply the PRINCE2® methods you’ve learnt with the Foundation certificate to the management of specific projects, giving you the experience you’ll need throughout your project management career. Once you’re PRINCE2® Practitioner qualified, becoming a fully-fledged Project Manager or Programme Coordinator is easily achievable.

The cost of the Foundation exam will be included within the microcredential offered by us here at FutureLearn in collaboration with QA; the UK’s leading tech & project management skills organisation. You’ll have support and guidance from a team of project management experts every step of the way, and won’t need to retake the exam once you’ve passed. To find out more about PRINCE2®, take a look at the video below:

As well as this PRINCE2® Foundation microcredential, FutureLearn also offers a range of free project management courses. You can browse them all here and start learning for free today.