International Mentoring Day 2026 - APM highlights importance of mentoring for skills growth and development

Ellie Luk, Assistant Project Manager, Gleeds

Project management in the UK is a fast-growing profession, employing over 2.3 million full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, and contributing around £186.8 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) annually to the UK economy*. However, due to the growing complexity of projects around the world, the need for skilled professionals to manage them is ever increasing.

Research from Association for Project Management (APM) reveals that 83% of project managers feel there is a skills gap in their industry sector, with 43% saying that gap is staying the same, or getting worse. In addition, 56% of businesses surveyed by APM said they anticipate difficulties in attracting new talent.

Professional mentoring is an invaluable way to help improve the skills and development in project management. And to mark International Mentoring Day (17 January), APM is celebrating the importance of professional development, and the success of its Mentoring Programme, which currently supports nearly 700 mentors and mentees. The programme provides a secure online space for APM members to form professional relationships within its member community of project professionals, connecting experienced mentors with those seeking guidance at various stages of their project management career – as well as career changers, those new to the profession or individuals returning to work.

Ellie Luk is an Assistant Project Managers at Gleeds, a global property and construction consultancy, having worked in marketing before moving into project management. Ellie has been mentored by Dave Corbin, Head of Client Accounts at Gleeds. She says the experience has provided her with practical knowledge of project management and gave her a clear path to follow.

On discussing her transition into project management and the value of getting a mentor (through APM) to support her career journey, Ellie says; “As a marketer I was always promoting a service or a business but was never actually in the team when we won the business. So, I took the leap to make the career change into project management. In terms of transferrable skills that I brought with me, I’d say being highly organised is top of the list, this ties in nicely with governance and juggling multiple projects. But the soft skills matter too, being able to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, is the key to running successful projects.

“I realised early on in my decision to change careers that I would need to build a new network, and after some research, I found networking opportunities through events organised by APM, as well as advice for career changers and mentoring to aid career transitions. Having Dave as my mentor has been fantastic, providing me with guidance on what project management means in reality and the steps I needed to take to make me a viable candidate.”

“After six months of sessions with Dave, he organised for me to complete work experience at Gleeds for a week, where I would shadow the lead project manager for the day on a different site each day. It was a fantastic experience, and being thrown into a live working environment was a test on my confidence and definitely affirmed it was the career I wanted.”

“But I understood that this opportunity was all on my shoulders, and I had to impress everyone I had interactions with that week. I knew I had to tap into my personable skills to demonstrate how I could fit into a company like Gleeds. Luckily my hard work paid off and to my delight, they offered me a job!”

Ellie has advice for anyone considering a mentoring relationship, particularly those considering a career change: “Finding a mentor in the industry you want to move into is key, but to note that not all mentors will offer work experience. Dave was a great support and kept things realistic. I would suggest that if someone if considering a career change, they should consider more than one mentor to get insights from across different spectrums of the project profession.”

See Ellie Luk and Dave Corbin discussing their mentoring relationship here.

 

APM is offering mentoring support to its members with a range of resources including its dedicated Mentoring Programme, ‘Mentor Matters’ webinars taking place from 20 January, online guides and a series of Mentor Q&As where experienced professionals share their insights to help emerging professionals and early-career project managers succeed.

Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM, says: “Mentoring is a valuable experience for all professionals, no matter where you are on the career ladder or those looking to make a change.

“It’s fantastic to see nearly 700 mentors/mentees join our Mentoring Programme over the past couple of years, and the value it is bringing in improving skills, knowledge and development. Whether you are going to be a mentor or mentee, the mentoring programme and resources available to members offers the opportunity to make professional connections for life and gain invaluable support and guidance in the process.

“APM research highlights a talent shortage across the project profession, with 56% of businesses anticipating difficulties in attracting new talent, posing a significant barrier to the profession's expansion. Upskilling the existing workforce and empowering the next generation of project professionals through mentoring, training and gaining the relevant qualifications in projects is imperative.”

For further information on mentoring visit apm.org.uk/mentoring and listen to APM’s podcast ‘Why Mentoring Matters’.

*APM’s Golden Thread Report 2024