Business<br />Profiles 
More than nine in ten SMEs in the East of England face ‘concerning‘ skills shortages in project management which risk the delivery of future infrastructure projects in the region, according to a survey by the Association for Project Management (APM).
The association polled over 500 project professionals in SMEs and some 93 per cent based in the East said their employer needs to improve project skills across the workforce. The most popular solution was ‘recruiting more widely across different professions’ (almost half of respondents in the East) followed by ‘training and upskilling existing employees’ and apprenticeships. The skills gap was also cited amongst the biggest challenges facing project growth.
Professor Adam Boddison, chief executive of APM, the chartered membership body for the sector, said: “…While it is somewhat encouraging that employers appear to understand the unique value of project professionals, it is concerning that 93pc of respondents believe their SME needs to improve project skills at such a critical time with net zero, technology and global events disrupting business activity across the region….By taking action now to invest in project skills, employers can better streamline their operations and help ensure projects are delivered to budget, timescales and quality.” Soft skills were highlighted as the most important attribute for successful project delivery, particularly adaptability/flexibility and planning followed by team management.
