Introduction
These qualifications have been designed to help organisations and change management professionals enhance their capability to manage change initiatives.
We offer accredited APMG Change Management training which teaches applicable skills and tools used by working change management professionals. To skip to the section most relevant to you, click one of the links below:
Start a new career in change management
Change is everywhere. The aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic has led to all organisations reconsider how they structure their work. Whether it’s remote working from home, or working in an office, this is just one of the many challenges facing organisations today.
These external pressures means that unless an organisation changes to adapt effectively to the changing circumstances, it will not be able to survive.
That’s where change management comes in.
Is change management the right career for you?
Natural career progression
Change management gives experienced professionals the opportunity to employ their industry knowledge, people skills and problem-solving skills in unique ways not often used by other professions.
Change management offers a natural career progression path for those with in-depth understanding of their industry. Being a great change manager means understanding not only how your business operates but, most importantly, how people within your organisation go about their work.
If you’ve always taken more interest in the ‘people’ side of the business and want to help staff enjoy a less stressful, more productive work environment, then consider a career in change management.
Leaders
Change managers are leaders, that’s why you might hear of change managers championing change, not just managing it. To staff, you’ll probably be one of the more recognisable faces in the organisation, seen organising workshops and hosting seminars. To management, you’ll be a source of invaluable information and their ‘eyes on the ground.’
Here are just a few reasons why change managers love their jobs:
Perspective
Change managers provide a unique insider perspective to senior staff on how the businesses operates. Change managers understand both the small picture and the big picture. Knowing how businesses operate within an industry helps change managers understand why change is necessary.
Understanding what staff need to do their job helps change managers understand how change might affect them on a personal level. Combining both perspectives helps the organisation understand change at every level.
Purpose
Change management delivers tangible, measurable results that directly effects your organisations work culture and staff.
Change managers help improve productivity by making everyone’s jobs easier. The recommendations you make will have an impact on the well-being and happiness of staff.
Most change managers agree that being able to make a real difference is one of the best aspects of the job and because the role often delivers demonstrable, tangible benefits, you’ll have more than enough leverage to negotiate a higher salary.
Salary
Change managers fulfil a key role and provide an invaluable service to organisations. As such, experienced, knowledgeable change managers are well compensated with the median salary of an associate change manger being in the range of £60,000 per annum [1].
How can APMG qualifications help you start a change management career?
APM Change Management qualifications are based on the Change Management Body of Knowledge (CMBoK™). The CMBoK was created through extensive research across multiple sectors and industries. Over 600 change management professionals across 30 countries were interviewed to help create the most comprehensive resource for professional change managers, and the first of its kind.
Qualifications and competency
Using this information, the Change Management Institute created the Change Manager Competency Model which describes what Change Managers must know to deliver change successfully at various levels in an organisation.
The APMG Change Management qualifications were designed using this competency model. The lessons, skills, and techniques you’ll learn as you study towards your APMG Change Management qualification are based on the real requirements of working change managers.
Developments in change management
Research shows that the number of change management roles is growing, as more organisations seek to improve their capacity and capability to manage change[2]. There’s never been a better time to make the swap to a career in change management.
Career change
Making the leap to a career in change management isn’t as daunting as you may think. If you have any experience as a line manager or team leader, you’ve probably already been tasked with implementing some form of organisational change.
You’ll find that many of the soft skills you’ve accumulated over your professional career will come in doubly handy as a change manager. Change managers are, first and foremostly, responsible for helping staff understand why change is necessary and how to overcome the personal difficulties presented by change.
Embrace a learning mindset
Earning a change management qualification is a great way to kickstart any career in change management. But it’s important to note that training is just one tool among many used to help support organizational change.
Change is not linear or as predictable as a textbook, several tools are required to support successful change and change managers can learn the most essential tools by studying towards an APMG Change Management qualification.
Understanding project delivery
Having an understanding in project delivery can be greatly beneficial for change managers. Being able to speak the same language as project managers helps align change deliverables, helps create transparent change initiatives and allows change managers to adopt an organised, structured approach to change.
Further resources
To find out more about change management qualifications and career, check out some of these resources.
- Watch this video Watch this video which explains how APMG Change Management qualifications can help your change management career.
- This article explains the importance of change management in an organisation.
- This article explains the different change management roles that organisations seek to hire.
Learn to manage change efficiently
If you are already working in a change role (e.g., change manager or change agent) on change initiatives, and are not sure that you are equipped with the right tools, then gaining an APMG Change Management qualification can help you.
As mentioned earlier, APMG Change Management qualifications were designed using the Change Manager Competency Model from the Change Management Institute.
This means that these qualifications will help you learn a broad range of tools and techniques which you can quickly apply on your change initiatives. All these tools and techniques will help you better plan your change initiatives and will enable you to better change manager. In turn, this will boost your confidence to take a leading role in change initiatives at work.
What are the benefits of change management qualifications?
By gaining your professional Change Management qualification, your organisation will also benefit from your enhanced skills in the following ways.
Better understand external factors
You will understand better the drivers of change come from all sources, including societal, economic, political, and technological. This will enable you to plan better change initiatives in response.
Make ideas succeed
You will learn to apply change management methodologies to enable ideas to succeed. Working alongside project managers to deliver new capabilities into an organisation, you can help ensure staff can fully utilise the new capabilities.
Enable cross-functional changes
You will be better able to align the change plan to the business’s overall strategy, thereby helping to ensure a greater return on investment.
Engage people with the change process
You will be better able to involve those people affected by change. You will learn to communicate and engage with staff about a change plan, thus getting them involved early in the change process which helps its long-term success.
Prepare for organisational transition
You will learn to use models to make restructuring job roles or processes, or implementing new technologies go more smoothly.
Decrease resistance to a change initiative
You will learn to be transparent with the affected staff from day one. You will be able to overcome resistance to change from people unsettled by being asked to work in new and different ways.
Improve performance and productivity
When your organisation adapts improved ways of working, it tends to increase productivity. It also encourages innovation. As a result, it puts your organisation in a healthier environment and better able to succeed.
Reduce costs
You can help your organisation make smart choices. When positive change is applied correctly, it helps to reduce waste and therefore reduce costs. In turn, this increases productivity, decreases risks, and helps to improve the profitability of your organisation.
How can APMG Change Management qualifications help me?
APMG Change Management qualifications
APMG Change Management is the definitive qualification scheme for professionals responsible for organisational change. It was developed in partnership with the Change Management Institute – an international non-profit committed to the creation, evolution and promotion of professional standards in change management.
APMG Change Management qualifications are based on The Effective Change Managers Handbook which distils the CMBoK (Change Managers Body of Knowledge) into applicable lessons and insights. The CMBoK is a collection of lessons, information and practices gathered from hundreds of professional change managers all over the world. The broad scope of the reflects the fact that there are many different approaches to managing change depending on differing factors.
Learning about change management
Learning about change management by gaining an APMG Change Management qualification can help you:
- Understand the application of change management frameworks to help plan and understand organisational change
- Learn the social and psychological paradigms change managers use to understand, support, and sustain organisational change processes
- Properly prepare for an organisational change initiative by building an effective change team
- Provide motivation to staff in ways that are empathetic towards peoples’ roles and personalities
- Establish a clear framework of roles, skills, and activities through which leaders can support and sustain the change process.
Further resources
To find out more about change management qualifications and career, check out some of these resources.
Advance your career with a recognised qualification
If you are an experienced change management professional, APMG Change Management qualifications can help you enhance your career even further.
Demonstrate your dedication to professional development
Commitment
Gaining an APMG Change Management qualification shows employers that you are committed career development. This is a very positive thing for you to show your employer. It proves your commitment to developing your own skills and knowledge which is needed in your profession.
When you earn an APMG Change Management Practitioner qualification you’ll also receive status as a ‘Registered Change Practitioner.’ This digital badge shows colleagues and employers that you have recently been certificated by APMG and are thus up to date with the latest changes in the change management profession.
Comprehensive
APMG Change Management qualifications are based on the CMBoK – the most comprehensive collection of change management practices, tools, frameworks, and techniques in the world. By gaining an APMG Change Management qualification it shows your knowledge and skills in up-to-date change management practices.
Global employment opportunities
APMG qualifications are recognised internationally
APM qualifications are highly regarded by employers globally. If you’re searching for new work abroad, APMG Change Management qualifications can help you secure that dream role.
SFIA
APMG Change Management qualifications conform to the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). The SFIA Framework is the global common reference for skills and competency in many professions, including change management.
The SFIA framework was created by comparing the skills of thousands of change managers at different stages in their career. APMG qualifications are mapped against the SFIA Framework so you can compare yourself to others in the same role. It also provides employers with an accurate measure of your skills as a change manager.
APMG Change Management SFIA levels
Change Management Foundation qualification confirms generic knowledge up to level 3 and organisational change management to level 3.
Change Management Practitioner qualification confirms generic knowledge up to level 3, generic business Skills up to level 3 and organisational change management up to level 4.
About our training
Knowledge Train is an accredited training organisation for APMG Change Management.
Trainers
Our trainers have years of applied experience in change management and the skills needed to help others learn from their experience.
We hire trainers who can engage and motivate our students and help them learn the intricacies of change management.
Our rigorous selection process for change management trainers and ongoing improvements means you can be assured you’ll get the best learning experience available.
For more information about our instructor-led training courses which lead to APMG Change Management, see our Change Management course page. For self-paced APMG Change Management online courses see our Change Management online courses page.
References
[1] Glassdoor. 2022. Salary: Change Manager in London, UK | Glassdoor. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/london-change-manager-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IM1035_KO7,21.htm. [Accessed 23 June 2022].
[2] The Effective Change Manager: The Change Management Body of Knowledge (CMBoK™). 2022. CMBoK – Change Management Institute. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.change-management-institute.com/cmbok. [Accessed 27 June 2022].
