A general question is how the project management profession is affected by the major developments and trends of the present. Will we still need project managers in 10 years' time? If yes, how much, to what extent? These are the questions PMI's latest survey seeks to answer. The Project Management Institute recently published Job Growth and Talent Gap survey seeks to forecast trends for the period 2017-2027.
In our country, it is already noticeable that there are not enough qualified project managers with the right experience and skills. More and more organisations are struggling with capacity problems, whether in project management, software development or other areas.
These problems can also be attributed to the specificities of the domestic labour market, as well as wage differentials at international level. But what is happening at international level? Will organisations face similar problems there?
The first survey of this kind was published in 2008 and was repeated in 2012. In 2012, it was clear that there was a growing demand for workers with project-oriented skills. This is because developing economies such as China and India are looking for an increasing number of experts, hampered by, among other things, the large number of experts facing retirement.
What are the forecasts?
By 2027, employers worldwide will need 87.7 million workers with project management skills.
The survey sought to forecast the demand for project management expertise in 11 countries. The results show that China, India, the US, Japan, Brazil, Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expected to see a 33% increase in demand. This also means that organisations will need to fill nearly 2.2 million new or vacant project management positions per year until 2027. China is expected to account for nearly half of this number, but Germany and the UK will also need 10,000 to 18,000 new experts per year.
This high demand is already reflected in salaries, with workers in project-based industries in the US, for example, earning 82% more than those without project management skills in 2017. Interestingly, project managers with PMP certification can earn on average 20% higher salaries than non-certified project managers.
What can be done?
It is definitely worth being prepared for this situation, as these trends, even if not to the same extent, will be observed in our country as well. Thanks to automation, the actual way of working will change a lot, but according to the current state of science, project management, among other things, will remain in human hands. Those organisations that are able to motivate, develop and retain young workers entering the labour market in the coming years will have a significant advantage. Well-constructed project management career paths, processes to increase project efficiency, improvements or even IT solutions can be appropriate solutions.
Designabc