Introduction
PRINCE2 provides step-by-step guidance for managing projects as described in the official PRINCE2 manual (PRINCE2® 7 Managing Successful Projects).
Since 1996, PRINCE2 has established itself as the world’s most popular project management methodology.
We offer training and qualifications to help you develop your project management career and skillset.
To skip to the section most relevant to you, click one of these 3 options:
Start a new career in project management
Project management
Project management is a multi-faceted discipline which requires the ability to organise, coordinate, solve problems, communicate effectively, and react to changing situations.
The exact duties of a project manager depend largely on the industry, and the types of projects they are tasked with managing. It typically involves tasks related to the planning, execution, oversight, and closing of a project.
What do you need to become a project manager?
Project managers require multiple skills to help them tackle the issues they might face on a day-to-day basis. Here are just a few examples of what might be expected of a qualified project manager:
- Setting realistic expectations with customers, stakeholders, and project team members
- Making contingency plans to deal with risk
- Facilitating communication between business managers and developers
- Translating non-technical information into plans usable by the project team
- Managing budgets, people, issues, risks, and requirements
- Knowing how to ask the right questions and incorporating feedback
- Establishing roles, responsibilities, and accountability on projects.
Why should you become a project manager?
Project management is not an easy job. But that’s what makes a role in project management appealing to so many.
No two days look alike, the work is fast-paced, and project managers are afforded a ‘birds-eye-view’ of work that can really make you feel like you’re an important part of something bigger.
Is project management the right career for you?
Project manager skills
Project management demands a wide range of skills to be successful. Project managers must have flawless organisational skills, problem solving skills, and be expert communicators, in addition to having the technical skills required within their industry.
Project management salary
An entry-level role in project management can pay around £33,500 per annum, while the average salary for a project manager is £46,500 gross per year. Senior project managers can expect to earn more than £125,000 a year[1].
Project management job market
As more organisations recognise the value a trained and dedicated project manager can deliver, demand for skilled project managers has continued to increase. The Project Management Institute (PMI®) expects 22 million new project management job openings before 2027[2]. Project managers are employed in all industries and business sectors.
At Knowledge Train, we’ve helped thousands of candidates from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds begin their careers in project management.
How can PRINCE2 help you start a career in project management?
At a minimum, many job roles in the UK require that candidates have the PRINCE2 Foundation qualification, but many entry-level project manager roles also require a PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification.
To find out more about how PRINCE2 can help you start a project manager career, check out some of these resources.
- This interactive scenario is a multimedia experience which takes you through Susan’s journey as she decides to change career and tries to move into a project management role using her PRINCE2 qualification.
- This article provides an overview of PRINCE2 qualifications and how to gain them.
- Watch this video of Lisa, an ex-student of Knowledge Train who used her PRINCE2 qualification to change career and secure a new job in project management.
- Watch this video of Dan Morgan, another ex-student of Knowledge Train who used his PRINCE2 qualification to secure a new project manager role.
Learn to manage projects effectively
PRINCE2 is the most popular project management methodology in the world. It can be applied to any project, irrespective of size or sector. PRINCE2 is used widely in the UK and EU to manage projects in every industry, and in both public and private sectors.
How PRINCE2 can benefit your career
- A PRINCE2 qualification can help you communicate and engage with stakeholders using a common terminology
- Knowing that your decisions are informed by decades of research can give you confidence in your ability to manage projects
- According to the UK government’s National Careers Service[3], the average starting salary for a project manager is around £22,000 a year, which rises to £70,000 a year with experience.
- PRINCE2 is recognised internationally, giving you more opportunity for employment in the global jobs market.
If that’s not enough, read on to find out how PRINCE2 can help you manage projects more effectively.
Why apply PRINCE2 to my projects?
The PMBoK® Guide
Other project management qualifications such as the PMI-PMPK® teach descriptive, reactive techniques. They are intended for use only as a reference and can be found in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoKK®).
The techniques within the PMBoK® offer little guidance as to how they should be applied. Often, the PMBoK® is only consulted in the event of an emergency to figure out what went wrong.
PRINCE2 is a very practical method
PRINCE2 refers to a collection of principles, practices and processes that can be applied across the project management lifecycle to help reduce risk, exert control, and provide effective governance.
PRINCE2 is prescriptive and preventive. It explains what steps should be taken, in what sequence, and who is responsible for them.
This makes it relatively easy to apply PRINCE2. You, the project manager, must decide how the prescribed steps should be tailored to achieve optimal results.
To learn how to apply PRINCE2 to your current projects it is important that you aim for the PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification. PRINCE2 Practitioner helps you understand how to apply PRINCE2, whereas the PRINCE2 Foundation qualification focuses on helping you understand the concepts and terminology.
Why use PRINCE2?
Here are several more reasons to apply PRINCE2 to the management of your projects today:
- PRINCE2 focuses on achieving business goals. This helps ensure PRINCE2 projects provide a return in investment.
- PRINCE2 can be applied to any type of project, in any industry.
- PRINCE2 can also be used alongside other methods such as SCRUM or standards such as the PMBoK® Guide.
- PRINCE2 defines specific responsibilities for all project management team members and makes it clear what is expected of them.
- PRINCE2 helps developers and key staff remain focused on critical tasks without the need for micromanagement.
- PRINCE2 is supported by a worldwide network able to provide expert advice and support for PRINCE2 projects.
Advance your career with a PRINCE2 qualification
PRINCE2 complements other qualifications
According to a survey conducted by AXELOS in 2017, around 76% of the senior managers interviewed said that project management will become a basic business skill which will be used by everyone[4].
PRINCE2 doesn’t just provide a method, it provides a full set of principles, practices, processes, and tailoring guidance that are based upon modern best practices in project management. It also provides a common terminology that can be used by project managers and management staff.
For experienced project managers learning PRINCE2 allows you to add one more tool into your project management toolkit. It provides you with a broader understanding of project management that can complement other qualifications, such as those offered by the APM, or Project Management Institute.
PRINCE2 demonstrates your dedication to professional development
If you are an experienced project manager seeking to become PRINCE2 qualified, then you should aim for the higher level PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification. This proves your ability to apply PRINCE2 to a non-complex project scenario.
Once you have got your PRINCE2 Practitioner then you should aim to maintain it over the long term because PRINCE2 changes and gets updated. For example, in September 2023, the latest PRINCE2 7th edition was released.
Maintaining your PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification can be achieved either through repeatedly retaking the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam or by becoming an AXELOS member.
AXELOS members can maintain their PRINCE2 Practitioner status by earning Continual Professional Development (CPD) points through a variety of educational activities including:
- Attending workshops
- Giving lectures or providing training
- Self-study
- Professional experience.
Renewing your PRINCE2 Practitioner status through CPD points demonstrates a desire to further your professional career through ongoing education.
Global employment opportunities
PRINCE2 is used by multi-national organisations, NGOs, and government institutions all over the world.
If you’re searching for new work abroad, want to begin freelancing or work in an international consultancy, PRINCE2 can help you better work with 3rd parties, suppliers, and contractors.
PRINCE2 is recognised internationally
PRINCE2 was developed to be more universally useful. It’s not just the qualification that’s recognised across industries and countries. Earning your PRINCE2 qualification teaches a common vocabulary and shared understanding that can help facilitate communication with other trained professionals.
The ease with which PRINCE2 qualifications can be earned – given the right training, preparation, and time – makes certification a simple, cost-effective way to improve your ability to communicate in your chosen profession and advance your career.
About our training
Knowledge Train has been an accredited training organization for PRINCE2 since 2006. Since then, we have helped thousands of students gain PRINCE2 qualifications to help their careers.
Our trainers
Our trainers have many years of applied experience in PRINCE2 and project management and the skills needed to help others learn from their experience.
We hire trainers who can engage and motivate students to help them learn the details of each subject.
Our rigorous selection process for PRINCE2 trainers and ongoing course improvements means you can be assured you’ll get the best training experience available.
For more information about our instructor-led courses which lead to PRINCE2 qualifications, see our PRINCE2 courses. For self-paced training, see our PRINCE2 online courses.
References
[1] PMI. 2021. Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey—Twelfth Edition. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/project-management-salary-survey. [Accessed 6 October 2023].
[2] PMI. 2017. Job Growth and Talent Gap. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/job-growth-report.pdf. [Accessed 6 October 2023].
[3] National Careers Service. (2018). Job profiles – business project manager. Available: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/business-project-manager. [Accessed 6 October 2023].
[4] PMI. 2018. The Project Manager of the Future: Developing digital-age project management skills to thrive in disruptive times. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/the-project-manager-of-the-future. [Accessed 6 October 2023].
