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Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has announced the winners of its Festival of Education and Research Awards 2022.

The APM Festival of Education and Research is an educational event that celebrates talent and achievement among educators, researchers and early-stage professionals, including students and apprentices. The virtual conference and awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 9 February, and included interactive workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities and more.

One of the highlights of the event was the awards ceremony, which recognised excellence across a range of education and research-related categories.

Among the winners was Charlotte Bethell, who was named Project Management Apprentice of the year. Charlotte, project support at Sellafield Ltd, completed her four-year project management apprenticeship programme in September 2021. During the programme, she divided her time between studying at the University of Cumbria and gaining hands-on workplace experience with Sellafield Ltd.

She yesterday said:

“I’m extremely grateful to have received this award. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last four years of my apprenticeship. I want to give special thanks to my apprenticeship coordinator, placement manager and the University of Cumbria.

“For me, the great thing about the apprenticeship programme at Sellafield is that you get to try so many different things, like project controls, risk and planning. Doing that while being able to continue at university and get a degree has been fantastic.”

APM’s panel of judges were impressed with the development opportunities which Charlotte embraced during her degree apprenticeship. She attended careers fairs and spoke at schools to promote STEM careers and recruitment into the nuclear industry, as well as leading on Sellafield Ltd's response to a national charity appeal to fill shoeboxes with toys and gifts for disadvantaged children at Christmas.

Anujan Metheus Anandarajan was named Project Management Student of the Year. His entry focused on a project completed while studying at Coventry University, undertaken in collaboration with Coventry City Council with the purpose of promoting environmentally friendly transport solutions by installing more rapid charging units in Coventry and contributing to the local strategic infrastructure programme to support UK Government's ‘Road to Zero’ strategy.

On receiving his award Anujan yesterday said:

“I was surprised but extremely honoured to have won. This is such a prestigious award for me and I am delighted that all my hard work during the Master’s last year paid off. Many students and early-stage professionals have struggled a lot during the pandemic, given the lack of social life, face-to-face interactions and lockdown restrictions. Coping with the ongoing situation while taking care of our own mental health has been challenging. I therefore believe everyone deserves a round of applause for their hard work and constant motivation that pushed everyone through these challenging times."

Another winner was Erika Graham-Jones, project support at Sellafield Ltd, who received the Project Management Graduate of the Year Award. Whilst at university, Erika saw an opportunity to focus on an area which had not been researched before – dyslexia and neurodiversity in project management. After being tested for dyslexia during her apprenticeship programme and subsequently diagnosed, Erika worked with colleagues to create a support network for neurodiverse people in the workplace, introduce processes to help people be tested for neurodiverse conditions, and facilitate access to assistive technology.

Reacting to her award, she yesterday said:

“I really wasn’t expecting to win. I’m thrilled.

"My apprenticeship involved working at Sellafield and studying at the University of Cumbria at the same time. I went to university one day a week and to work four days a week. It was a great experience. I moved around the business every few months doing planning, cost management, risk management and placements in construction. You get experience of all the different project management elements.

“There are really good career pathways at Sellafield. I’m now working on becoming a project sub-manager.”

The Festival of Education and Research puts a spotlight on APM’s ongoing commitment to learning and knowledge-sharing, which has become an increasingly important part of its work. The event helps to support career development within the project profession, recognises research excellence in project management and related fields, and the contribution of academics to the development of the profession.

Professor Adam Boddison, chief executive of APM, yesterday said:

“APM is committed to recognising and rewarding achievement within project management, which is why we created the Festival of Education and Research in 2020. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students, academics and early career project professionals to meet prospective employers, network with each other and develop skills and knowledge. I would like to congratulate all the award winners, speakers and everyone involved in making the event such a success.”

ALL WINNERS FROM THE APM FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AWARDS

• Graduate of the Year – Erika Graham-Jones, Sellafield Ltd/University of Cumbria
• Postgraduate Dissertation of the Year – Jennifer Piehlmaier, University of Sussex
• Apprentice of the Year – Charlotte Bethell, Sellafield Ltd/University of Cumbria
• Educator of the Year – Luca Sabini, University of Hertfordshire
• Doctorate of the Year – Marcos Fuentes | University College London
• Research Paper of the Year – What are the causes and cures of poor megaproject performance? A systematic literature review and research agenda - Juliano Denicol, Andrew Davies & Ilias Krystalli, University College London
• Developmental Programme of the Year – Project Controls Solutions | Academic Certificate in Project Controls
• Student of the Year – Anujan Metheus Anandarajan, Coventry University

You can read more about the winners, finalists and their achievements here.