| Project Management Student of the Year

This is an APM Network Award which celebrates the achievements of students within their local APM community.

Finalists for this category have already been shortlisted and are drawn from winners of the branch level awards, which were awarded earlier this year. It was open to all full-time or part-time students aged 16 or over and allows students to showcase their skills and achievements in relation to delivery of a specific project which they have been a part of in the last three years. 

Congratulations and good luck to all our finalists...

Jeremie contributed to the redevelopment of Watford General Hospital, transforming outdated facilities into a modern healthcare environment.

As an Apprentice Project Manager, he led efforts in Issues, Decisions, RFIs, and Risk management for the £1.5 billion project, whilst supporting the development of the project execution plan.

Jeremie coordinated workshops with clinicians, operational teams, and technical specialists, ensuring alignment with clinical and sustainability goals, which led to the successful completion of RIBA Stage 2.

This experience enhanced his skills in leadership, organisation, and decision-making, and reinforced the importance of demonstrating value for money through evidence-based decision-making.

I am an MSc Project Management student at the University of Portsmouth and as a volunteer project manager at Somalis in Project Management, I led the planning and execution of a Youth Career Fair for the Somali Community, aiming to tackle under-representation in the professional sector.

This experience afforded me the opportunity to develop essential project management competencies, that includes stakeholder engagement and resource management. It reaffirmed my commitment to utilising project management as a means to foster positive social change and underscored the significant influence that effective planning and leadership have on communities.

NHS England proposed to pilot a project providing Additional Roles staff (ARRS) a set of individually recognised codes, specifically related to levels of access required for their daily duties. The purpose of the project was to align the ARRS roles to confirmed job profiles, ensuring that reporting across the PCN to national stakeholders was efficient & accurate.

My responsibility as project manager was to successfully scope and deploy a unified code set across 15 member practices within Nuneaton & Bedworth for 10 different role profiles. Through meticulous project planning methods and usage of a PDSA methodology, accuracy was achieved on project completion.

Alexander led SIGfest, an in-person event designed to revitalise UKRI’s Specific Interest Groups (SIGs) by boosting engagement, membership, and collaboration. Focused on artificial intelligence (AI), it provided a dynamic space for networking, learning, and practical problem-solving.

Through strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, SIGfest increased participation and set a new standard for UKRI events, inspiring wider AI adoption in project management across UKRI. Leading the event enhanced Alexander’s project management skills, strengthened stakeholder relationships, and shaped his career aspirations.

He has since taken on a facilitator role for UKRI’s new AI SIG, supporting others in embracing creativity and innovation.

I am managing a project responsible for removing nuclear waste out of a building which is not accessible by people, and is badly degrading.

I have seen this project through the optioneering process, resulting in an option being identified and I have gone through the appropriate governance procedures to successfully gain sanction for the project to commence the next phase.

I have faced a number of challenges when managing this project, leading me to improve my stakeholder engagement skills, demonstrate determination and resilience, excel in teamwork skills, and develop innovative solutions to the challenges faced.