The Project Management Institute (PMI®) published the 2021 Talent Gap Report, which indicated a shortage of talent. Through 2030, there is annual global demand for an incremental 2.3 million project management professionals. That means training demand! We are proud of our association with PMI and have dedicated this issue of Logically Speaking to highlighting PMI’s Authorized Training Partner program. Enjoy!

Jim Gabalski

VP, Sales and Marketing

In this issue:

• Inside PMI
• Growth Opportunities
• Keys to Selling
• Curriculum Corner
• Customer Spotlight
• Instructor Spotlight
• Latest Products
• Content Revisions
• Teaching Prep
• Client Services Corner

Meet Karen Micah, Director, Global Channel Engagement

Karen Micah Director,  Global Channel Engagement PMI Connect on LinkedIn

​​​​​​Karen Micah joined the Project Management Institute in January 2020, bringing deep knowledge of channel programs from her time at industry-leading organizations like Oracle and IBM. Recognizing the opportunity that the Training Provider channel represented, PMI brought Karen to the team to explore new ways to deliver more value to the ultimate PMI customer—the Project Manager—by engaging the channel more effectively.  As the Director of Global Channel Engagement, Karen is committed to delivering more value to the PMI Channel and is leading a team that shares that passion. 

When Karen was asked what energizes her about her work, her response is quick and clear. “It’s all about the team,” she says. “My team is fantastic, and I am very proud of the work they do each and every day with a shared and singular focus, the Channel Partner.” Karen attributes her team’s recent accomplishments to their ability to listen to the customer and follow through on commitments that they make. “Our team shares a passion for what we do. Every member of this team is an exceptional problem solver.  But equally important is the commitment they make to the customer to ‘own the problem’ and the resolve to follow through until they deliver an excellent outcome.” Channel Partners are noticing, and the feedback is excellent with several commenting that the experience they are having with PMI keeps getting better and better every day. Karen’s vision for the channel continues to expand, and her focus is on incrementally adding more value by building upon the strong momentum that is already in place. 

Karen loves her work, but she also loves her family. Her husband and two children, ages 4 and 8, keep her quite busy. Born in London and of Ghanaian descent, she teaches them about the world and all of the joys it has to offer, including music. To decompress, Karen enjoys listening to various types of music including R&B, Afro Beats, and classical. Some of her favorites? Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy and Love Nwantiti by CKay. She also loves the beach and looks for any opportunity to go enjoy the sand and the ocean. 

Talent Gap: Ten-Year Employment Trends, Costs, and Global Implications 

Globally, a gap between the demand for project management skills and the availability of talent continues to persist. This opens a host of new job opportunities in project management-oriented employment (PMOE) for project professionals and all changemakers – those who, regardless of their role, are inspired and equipped to drive change. 

The Project Management Institute (PMI) identifies three reasons for the persistence of the talent gap: 

• An increase in the number of jobs requiring project management-oriented skills. 

• Higher demand for project professionals in emerging and developing countries due to economic growth. 

• The rate of retirement from the workforce. 

The global economy needs 25 million new project professionals by 2030. To close the talent gap, 2.3 million people will need to enter PMOE every year just to keep up with demand – this includes project managers and all changemakers. 

By 2030, just 12 million project management employees out of the current workforce will be left due to retirement. Read the full report. ​​

​​​Africa Project Management: Pioneering Sound Project Management in West Africa

Telecommunications companies and major institutions in the Ivory Coast have depended on Africa Project Management (APM) for major project support for the past 9 years. Founded in 2013 after company CEO, Jean Louis Allou, became PMP certified, Africa Project Management has built a reputation for helping organizations create and implement business development strategies. Based on its track record of success and having demonstrated the necessary competencies, APM became a PMI Registered Education provider in 2018 and an Authorized Training Provider in 2020. “I was so impressed with the project management skills I developed as a PMP, I decided to share that training with other project managers in West Africa to help them carry out projects using good practices,” says Jean Louis Allou.

APM offers more than training for aspiring project managers, they also run major projects and source project management professionals for their clients. They have completed over 20 large projects since the company was founded. To highlight a few, in 2014, APM completed a project that resulted in the first export for a client, and in 2015, APM concluded a 9-month, telecommunications project for the Ivory Coast government. Having been a Registered Education Provider for two years and becoming a PMI Authorized Training Provider in 2020, APM trained over 220 Project Managers in 2021. APM applies its expertise in project management to allow companies to focus on their core business while providing essential human resources support that includes: recruitment, human resource consulting, training and development management, payroll administration, personnel administration, and employee records management. As a PMI Authorized Training Provider, a key training offering is the PMP Exam Prep class, but APM also offers CAPM, Introduction to Project Management, Public Speaking, and Cybersecurity Manager classes. 

APM sees tremendous growth potential for the company through continued specialization in project management. “I leveraged my expertise as a Telecommunications Engineer to win business and succeed as a project management company. Now we are building on our project management expertise to offer more training and to become internationally recognized as a leader in our field,’’ says Jean Louis Allou. To that end, APM promotes PMI’s PMP Certification and claims 8 key reasons to become certified:  (1) improve project success rate; (2) maintain standards and techniques as updated in the PMBOK Guide; (3) PMP is an industry-standard certification that is globally recognized; (4) PMI continually publishes materials that drive innovation; (5) PMP Certification enhances employability; (6) it is a credential that helps you and your company win more business; (7) networking opportunities arise from involvement in PMI chapters and forums; and (8) advanced PMI certifications provide an opportunity to expand expertise and credentials. 

“We want to be the reflection of a winning Africa,” says Jean Louis Allou. “Our customers, employees, and partners can count on us to live our values: Rigor, Trust, and Loyalty.”  With a combination of credentials, commitment, and focus, expect great things from Africa Project Management. 

To learn more: https://africaprojectmanagement.com/. 

ALVISSION EDUCATION Answers Demand for Transformation Competence Using Unique Project Management Training Approach

ALVISSION was founded in 2018 by Frank Tassone who has a foundational belief that Project Management and the education that prepares professionals for Project Management Certifications can be fun. After a 25-year career as a Project Manager, Coach, and Instructor, most of which was spent developing project management education programs for Lufthansa Group, Frank embarked on a journey that included several unique experiences ultimately resulting in the creation of ALVISSION. Frank calls the unique and award-winning ALVISSION approach—Edutainment.

“I spent many years creating and delivering traditional education programs,” says Frank, “but with the accelerating global demand for Certified Project Managers and the increased training demand for project management skills, we needed a better, faster way to prepare students to sit for exams.”  In 2019, ALVISSION became the first training provider—globally—to deliver Project Management Certification prep training using a Virtual Reality Platform and training space. “Our unique, didactical approach to training includes the gamification of training using Virtual Reality techniques. We leverage the PMP Exam Prep content, that is available to ALVISSION as a result of becoming a PMI Authorized Training Provider, with expert trainers and coaches, and real-world, real-life project challenges that students bring to class as part of our training offering. This combination—we call Edutainment—is extremely engaging and effective.” ALVISSION offers Project Management training that covers Introductory, Basic, Expert, PMP Certification, Disciplined Agile, Agile Leadership, and Advanced topics.  With 11 instructors on staff, each having many years of experience as Project Managers, and an international team of 20 partners, ALVISSION is able to deliver training that is engaging, relevant, and multilingual.

​​When COVID struck, ALVISSION was perfectly positioned to transition into the world of virtual delivery.  Already having advanced LMS capabilities, experts comfortable with digital delivery platforms, and its own virtual reality system, ALVISSION transitioned to virtual instructor-led training delivery in less than two weeks. In fact, Corona created an opportunity for ALVISSION to offer training globally and now has students attending classes from nearly every continent. “We take our students by the hand, regardless of where they are from, and lead them to the exam door,” says Frank, “and when they walk in to take that test, they are confident and prepared to be successful.” Combining training with study group support and coaching from the ALVISSION experts, students engage in a comprehensive program that goes well beyond a traditional training offering. Corona also created a high demand for “transformation competencies” and, in today’s world, that means that Project Managers need to understand and effectively utilize modern technology.  Because of the way ALVISSION conducts its training and the platforms it leverages, students are exposed to that type of technology and benefit from their direct experience with it.

The future is hybrid. ALVISSION believes that the future Project Manager will need to have a broad set of skills, tools, processes, and methods in their project management toolkit. Pulling from that toolkit, which includes processes and practices from both traditional and agile approaches, the Project Manager of the future must be able to select the right tool for the job. “Giving Project Managers a full toolkit will allow them to apply the best method that addresses a project’s requirements,” says Frank, “so we are focused on continually offering training on topics that will further fill those toolkits.” With that in mind, ALVISSION continues to enhance its training offerings which include “New for 2022” topics like Wicked Problem Solving, How to Lead Without Authority, Disciplined Agile Product Owner, Agile Leadership, and Citizen Developer.

The ALVISSION team is committed to volunteer work. The dedicated staff instructors and coaches openly share experiences and skills with a “multiply by sharing” mindset. Recently, the team took a group of 12-year-olds through a basics of project management training program at school. Teaching these young people foundational organizational skills gave them the ability to compartmentalize problems in their school projects into manageable tasks. The result was that these students were less stressed and were able to manage complex challenges more effectively. As Frank concludes, “Using even the most basic project management techniques, a person can reduce stress and have more fun, whether that is at work, at University, or in their personal lives.”

To learn more about ALVISSION: https://www.ALVISSION.training/?lang=en. 

July 2022 Instructor Excellence Award: Guisela Villatoro, PMP "Teaching Is in My Blood"

Guisela Villatoro Lead PMP Instructor Proyectum Connect on LinkedIn​​​​

​​Guisela Villatoro loves to teach and comes from a family that has long embraced the profession. Her grandmother was a rural teacher. Her father and sister dedicated their lives to teaching. And so has Guisela. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Education, and several professional certifications including PMP, Disciplined Agile Scrum Master, Professional Translator, and a Broadcasting and Narration Certification that is nationally recognized in Guatemala. While she spent a significant percentage of her career managing large projects in the telecommunications industry, she has most enjoyed the last 10 years as the lead PMP instructor for Proyectum, a PMI Authorized Training Partner based in Guatemala. In every class she teaches, she brings her real-world experience as a regulatory and international networking expert along with her experience putting that knowledge to work in large-scale, successful projects. 

While working as a project manager, Guisela managed a large project that was part of a major national effort to open up the telecommunications industry in Guatemala. In the past, the only option for the average Guatemalan to get telecommunications service was a landline. “There was one landline provider in the entire country,” says Guisela, “and it would take many months, if not years for service to be set up. Cellular service was available but was much too expensive for most people.” Guisela led a project that supported the process to deregulate the industry and make telecommunications more available and affordable. Working with government regulators, local service providers, and international cellular companies, Guisela and the project team negotiated and operationalized a revolutionary interconnection agreement between the two local telecommunications operators, with a modern approach for providing service throughout the country. “This initiative resulted in an open market first solution that allowed for rapid deployment of telephone and cellular services. What historically took a long time now happens in a snap,” concludes Guisela. Guisela continued her career in the field, and several years later, she was presented with an opportunity to teach project management skills to others. Guisela says, “That opportunity revealed to me, or better stated, helped me rediscover what my true passion is—teaching.” This experience brought Guisela to Proyectum, and she has been teaching project management classes ever since. 

“I am a very organized and structured individual with a real appreciation for the value of planning,” says Guisela, “so I think I am a natural project manager.” When Guisela teaches classes, she lets that passion show and firmly believes that students will “see right through you” if you are not authentic and passionate. Guisela adapts her teaching style for each unique audience. Her students range from freshmen in college, where she enjoys “feeding young minds,” to professionals who have been working in project management for years. The PMP class is her favorite to teach. Starting with theory and adding pragmatic tools that can be put to use immediately, Guisela works with every student to prepare them in the best way possible to sit for the PMP exam. “I start with the PMI materials, which I found very valuable, and enhance the class with activities, games, discussions, and practice, practice, practice!” Proyectum offers varying class options which “gives us plenty of time to enhance the class for maximum student impact,” adds Guisela.  

As a lifelong learner, Guisela plans to add to her repertoire of credentials. Putting her broadcasting skills to work, she plans to launch a podcast. While reciting poetry is a personal passion and she plans to publish a children’s book at some point, her podcast will most likely focus on project management and teaching life skills more effectively. “Virtual classrooms have really changed everything,” indicates Guisela. “Tapping into learning styles—aural, visual, read/write, kinesthetic—is critical to the success of a class. And doing that for a topic like project management in a virtual classroom can be difficult. I want to help students connect with the content, each other, and their instructor. The instructor is the key, and we all need to continue to adapt our skills to be effective in this virtual learner world. I want to help teachers build those skills and a podcast might just be the best way to do that.” Guisela’s son and two daughters are her inspiration. They are artists and share their mother’s passionate personality. “Artists never retire because they love what they do, and neither do teachers…” 

Spend 10 minutes with Guisela and it will be clear to you that teaching truly is “in her blood.” 

July 2022 Instructor Excellence Award: Garrik Dennis
Helping Veterans Find Their Purpose

Garrik Dennis is a US Army veteran who transitioned from military to civilian life in June of 2017 after an 8-year career in which he completed his time as a Captain. His transition to civilian life was fairly challenging so when he discovered Vets2PM in 2019 and met the founder, Eric “Doc” Wright, he knew he had found his purpose. Vets2PM is a PMI Authorized Training Partner dedicated to helping military veterans profoundly change their lives through project management, entrepreneurship, and AI. With Eric as a role model, Garrik pursued and achieved his PMP certification and became the lead instructor for Vets2PM, and now trains veterans using PMI-developed curriculum along with supplemental materials that he designed to specifically address the unique needs of a military veteran in transition. 

“Transitioning from military to civilian life can be quite challenging on many levels,” says Garrik. “Through project management training, we help veterans transition to civilian life and into meaningful, lucrative careers.  The organization and time management skills they learn through the PMP, CAPM, and PMI-ACP classes we teach not only help veterans succeed professionally, but also assist them in activities associated with civilian life.” Vets2PM recognizes that veterans need additional support as they confront the realities of civilian life.  Garrik takes an active interest in supporting each veteran and providing them with assistance that goes beyond training. As a Mental Health Counselor holding a Nationally Certified Counselor Certification, Garrik helps his students navigate through the trauma challenges that most have experienced. “I learn their individual stories. In addition to the training and mentoring and study sessions, I provide them with the counseling support they need. So, when they pass their certification exam, they not only have the technical and process skills necessary to function as a PMP Certified Project Manager, but they also have strategies for handling challenges of civilian life.” 

While Garrik feels at home at Vets2PM and is fulfilled by the work that he does every day, he continues to pursue advanced degrees. Already holding a master's degree, he looks forward to furthering his studies and eventually earning a PhD with a focus on education and supervision. “I love teaching PMP classes, and I see the benefits of this training for our veterans,” says Garrik. “I see myself teaching others how to teach PMP and other PMI classes.  And when that happens, more veterans will benefit from the great work Vets2PM does.” Garrik has a strong interest in EMDR and existential therapy, which helps veterans manage trauma from life and/or military experiences.  In addition to his PhD, he currently specializes in the application of EMDR which he sees as providing “pre-trauma therapy” strategies for handling potentially traumatic situations that could be triggered by past trauma experiences. 

“Through my work at Vets2PM, I am helping veterans discover who they are, to find their purpose, and live meaningful lives.” 

Submit Your Instructor Nominations for August

We're recognizing instructors who have reached key milestones and made a meaningful impact in the training world. Do you want to nominate an instructor who you feel deserves to be recognized in the next Logically Speaking? Visit the Logical Operations Instructor Community (LOIC) page to get more insight into what the Instructor Spotlight is all about.

Authorized Training Partner - Train the Trainer

The Authorized Training Partner Train the Trainer program sets you up for success and prepares you to deliver PMP® exam prep and Disciplined Agile® workshop training content to our quality standards. Completion of this training grants the official Authorized Training Partner endorsement from PMI and provides your instructors with a badge that shows they are PMI-approved instructors.  

NINE OUT OF TEN of our customers say that they look for PMI-approved instructors when searching for PMP exam prep and training. 

PMI takes steps to ensure that the instructors who deliver our branded courseware via the ATP Program are qualified to do so. These instructors must not only understand the content but should also be able to meet the needs of our modern-day learners. To qualify for the ATP Instructor badge, the instructor must hold a certification (for the course they want to teach) and meet agile experience requirements.   

When an ATP submits an instructor application, our ATP Trainer team reviews the instructor application to ensure the qualification requirements are met. If approved, the next step is for the instructor to attend the on-demand Train the Trainer course. 

 “The ATP TTT course assisted in understanding the best teaching practices and how to approach providing examples and advice while instructing.”   

The PMI ATP Train the Trainer course is a one- or two-day on-demand course that focuses on:  

Day 1 (for PMP and/or DA instructors):  

Facilitation techniques: How modern learners learn, meeting delivery preferences and leading courses in a virtual environment.  

Day 2 (for PMP instructors):  

Technical aspects of the PMP exam, with an added focus on agile and hybrid approaches.  

Upon successful completion of the course, the instructor is awarded the ATP Instructor badge – which is their proof of PMI approval to train on behalf of their affiliated ATP. As long as the instructor maintains their certification and remains affiliated to an active ATP, their instructor status remains active.  

Instructors receive ongoing support through the ATPTrainer (atptrainer@pmi.org) email inbox. From questions about obtaining new instructor qualifications to content feedback and general queries, the  ATPTrainer team is available for questions and to provide guidance for the ATP Instructor needs.  

Client Services: Dedicated to Supporting ATPs

Chandra Foster is the Vice President of Client Services for Logical Operations and leads the team that provides primary support for PMI’s Authorized Training Providers. “My team is steeped in experience in working with training providers, whether they are PMI channel partners or LO direct customers. Regardless of whose customer they are, we work every day to ensure that every training provider has the materials and know-how they need to run successful training events.”

Over the past several quarters, the LO Client Services team has been supporting, measuring, and optimizing processes that support PMI ATPs. “Each quarter, we conduct a Client Services Satisfaction Survey,” says Foster. “Our scores have demonstrated improvement or sustained excellence as 92% or more of the ATPs report being ‘satisfied or better’ in the most recent survey.”  Logical Operations measure four critical success factors: (1) timeliness of response, (2) accuracy of response, (3) completeness of response, and (4) overall satisfaction.

Working with the PMI Support team, the Logical Operations Client Services team is dedicated to ensuring that ATPs have what they need when they need it.  

To contact Logical Operations support for your PMI ATP questions, email assist@logicaloperations.com.