Students from across the midlands gained some hands-on experience in delivering complex projects through an industry-grade simulation event at the University of Northampton last month.
The APM Spatium Simulation Event on Tuesday, 20 May, brought together aspiring project managers from universities across the UK for an immersive, real-world learning experience.
Organised by the UON’s MSc Project Management programme and the Project Management Society, as well as the Northampton students, the event welcomed students from De Montfort University, Birmingham City University, University of Bristol (UOB) and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol).
Participants were divided into eight mixed-institution teams and tasked with managing a complex virtual stadium construction project using the Spatium-Prendo Simulation software — a highly regarded professional training tool.
The exercise replicated the many challenges faced in the delivery of modern projects, with traditional constraints around time, cost, scope, quality, and risk.
The simulation was facilitated by Prendo Director Guy Giffin who was supported by a team of academic mentors including UON’s Dr Bernard Elaho, module leader for Organisational Resilience in MSc Project Management.
UON’s Project Management Course Leader, Dr Saeed Nayeri said: “Students were encouraged to collaborate in cross-university teams, mirroring the diverse, multidisciplinary nature of real-world project teams.
“Over the course of the day, students applied critical project management techniques to make strategic decisions, manage stakeholders, allocate resources, and optimise performance across a range of key project indicators.
“They were very much thrown into the deep end but had detailed feedback from Guy Griffin. There was a modest prize for the best performing team, but they all walked away with valuable certificates which will help them rise above the competition when they start looking for employment.”
UOB student Nishi Garg said: ““It was a dynamic event that brought together aspiring and experienced professionals to solve real-world challenges under pressure.”
UON student Khurram said: “A wonderful event and supportive environment which truly faced us with a real-life experience in project management.”
