You may feel that your project managers should receive a little more than a ' Joe Bloggs successfully attended a project management course' certificate. It says a great deal for their timekeeping but little about their acquired knowledge. Companies may have their tailored courses independently assessed by the APM and real certification gained that means something in the industry. Alternatively, individuals who complete the assessments can receive proper credit for the knowledge they have gained and their application of it. No, but it reduces the risk of uninformed ones.
Project management is a demanding profession.
An effective open learning strategy should recognise the importance of mentors as well as tutors. A mentor is someone who can guide and support the project manager in the work-place. They can provide an insight into the application issues that must be challenged and the solutions of the past. This must be coupled with effective tutor support after the course is complete. Unfortunately many training organisations adopt the train and forget philosophy.