Mentees on the engineering construction industry’s Project Management Mentoring Programme (PMMP) will now benefit from the experience of professionals across all sectors as the scheme broadens its scope.

PMMP has recently launched its 10th cohort of mentors and mentees. Over an eight-month period, senior industry mentors are paired with developing project managers to share knowledge and experience.

The PMMP, which is organised by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) with guidance and input from the Project Management Steering Group (PMSG), was launched in 2014 for project managers within the oil and gas sector. Two further programmes were then launched for professionals in the nuclear sector and then one for engineering construction project managers across power generation, renewables, food and drink, water treatment, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. 

Andy Brown, interim chief executive of the ECITB, said: “Combining the three programmes allows the cross-fertilisation of ideas across sectors as well as opportunities to develop cross-sector relationships.  

“Project management is broadly the same whichever sector you are in. By broadening the scheme across these sectors, we improve the opportunities for people to be mentored by mentors who have different experiences of various phases of the project life cycle. This is another excellent example of how industry co-operation works for the benefit of the industry as a whole. It is a great opportunity for both mentors and mentees alike.”

Ellie Zemani, asset manager at Spirit Energy, was a mentee in 2019.  She returned as a mentor in 2020 and has mentored every year since.  She said: “As a mentee, I benefitted from the guidance and independent advice of a very experienced project management leader. It inspired me to become a mentor in 2020.  

“As well as an opportunity to give back, for me, mentoring has also been an opportunity to learn and grow as a leader. It’s also been a great networking forum. Each cohort has about 30 participants from a wide range of organisations across the industry - all passionate about project management and people development.  It has been a great experience.”

Mark Fotheringham, chair of the PMSG, said: “While technical skills can be learned online or in a classroom, behavioural and leadership skills can be massively enhanced via mentoring. 

“The eight-month programme sees qualified and experienced project practitioners imparting wisdom and providing guidance to less experienced project professionals with the aim of accelerating their performance and careers.”

To date, there have been more than 168 pairings from 62 companies, many of whom are working towards chartered status with professional bodies such as the Association for Project Management (APM). 

There is an anonymised pairing process for mentors and mentees. This year’s cohort sees professionals from the oil and gas sector mentoring project managers in nuclear and vice versa.

Project manager Alan Glennie, returned as a mentor in 2019 after being one of the first mentees on the programme and has mentored every year since then.  He said: “The scheme is fantastic and so special. It is run on a voluntary basis to share knowledge and experience with a new generation of project managers, but I also get so much from it. Like most mentors, I’ve kept in touch with my mentees and maintained professional ongoing relationships with them.”

The latest cohort comprises 37 mentors and mentees and the eight-month programme will now run until December 2023. For further information or to express an interest in joining the 2024 cohort, email: pm-mentoring@ecitb.org.uk