Training Opportunities

Message from the Vice President of Education
Saeed Rokooei, PMP

Education and Certification are topics that are important to PMICMS members and those that should become members because Education is required to obtain and maintain PMI credentials. Education also helps us to improve our project management skills. Finally, education allows us to participate in activities with others so that we expand our knowledge of project management, expand our network of professional contacts, and expand our view of the organizations and industries for whom our colleagues work. In terms of Certification, our 252 members hold a total of 170 PMI certifications as of June 2019. The majority of these certifications are the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Therefore, the monthly meetings presented by the chapter allows members with certification an opportunity to earn professional development units (PDUs) towards maintaining certification. For members and non-members that are pursuing certification, PMICMS offers Project Management Professional® (PMP®) boot camps to help prepare for the exam. These boot camps also provide the education hours that fulfill one of the requirements to sit for the exam.

 

Outside of the chapter, the Education and Certification team engages with non-members, the local business community and educational institutions. In the past year, we have presented several guest lectures to students at a local high school as well as provided some “consulting” services to these students to assist them with projects that they are undertaking.

The VP of Education takes the lead in providing educational opportunities in PMI certification boot camps and other project management courses and maintaining PDU’s with PMI for chapter events. Additionally, the VP of Education holds the distinction of being the only chapter board member that must be a PMP.
Education involves a little more than putting on an educational event. First, we listen to the needs and suggestions of our members. Also, we contact local businesses to determine their wants and needs. These educational requirements are submitted to the chapter board for discussion and approval. The many other steps include researching educational providers and course material, soliciting and selecting qualified instructor(s), contacting local educational institutions to schedule facility usage, marketing to prospective class participants, and ordering the courseware when the class is committed. Finally, the class is conducted – but don’t forget the catering, printing the certificates and entering the earned PDU’s when appropriate

Below are the certifications offered by PMI. (from PMI.org website)

 

• The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)^® is a good entry-level certification if you’re new to project management, or still figuring out your career path.
• The Project Management Professional (PMP)^® is the most important globally-recognized and independently validated credential for project managers, perfect if you have demonstrated experience and competence in leading project teams.
• The Program Management Professional (PgMP)^® is designed for those who manage multiple, complex projects to achieve strategic and organizational results.
• The Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)^SM credential recognizes the advanced experience and skill of portfolio managers and demonstrates proven ability in the coordinated management of one or more portfolios to achieve organizational objectives.
• The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)^® is designed for practitioners who utilize Agile approaches to project management in their projects.
• The PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)^® is a specialty credential that demonstrates competence in assessing project risks, mitigating threats and capitalizing on opportunities.
• The PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)^® is a specialty credential for practitioners who want to focus on developing and maintaining project schedules.
• The OPM3^® Professional Certification recognizes your experience with, and practical knowledge of, organization project management and project management maturity.

 

If you are interested in volunteering for education director positions or discussing education classes, please contact me at vpeducation@pmicms.org.

Saeed Rokooei, PMP