PMI Today - September 2019

Members of PMIEF’s Community Engagement Committee Share Why It’s Important to Learn Project Management Early in Life

n the second article of this series,
PMIEF’s Community Engagement
Committee—David Khaw,
Pvt Ltd.; and Connie Hester, PMP
and PMO process lead at Dell—share
their thoughts on teaching project
management skills to youth and why
they think it’s a vital tool for the future.
Read below to learn how they feel
project management has changed their
career path and what advice they have
for the next generation of leaders.

If you had learned project management skills at a young age, how would that have helped your early growth, school life, opportunities and so forth?

David Khaw (DK): “I think if I had learned project management at a younger age, it would’ve helped me connect more with my peers and help improve my academic scores.”

Connie Hester (CH): “I think, ultimately, if I had known the project management skills then that I know now, I may have chosen to try a new career path early on.”

IAvdivaragan Chandrasekaran (AC): “I feel I could’ve been more successful in my academics. However, aside from that, being a PMP makes me think about being more giving and to give back by teaching others what I’ve learned. Growing up, I was focused on my path and not necessarily the paths of others. If I had known project management skills, I may have acted differently.”

In your experience, how have you seen kids with project management skills perform differently than kids without those skills?

DK: “I work as a youth director outside of my day-to-day work. A core value of the club is working together. I’ve used the [PMIEF] Project Management Skills for Life® resource to help train them on project management skills. I think it helps them focus on specific projects.”