Holte Academy

C ompetence in project work is an essential part of the development of any company. Projects are ultimately responsible for turning any organisation’s need or idea into a specific result. Holte Academy offer their extensive experience in helping companies grow their project management and leadership skills.

Businesses always need to stay sharp and be able to handle changes, whether due to internal needs or external pressure. The management must also be able to lead these processes of change. When the strategies and objectives of a business demand that the organisation performs in new ways, organising the work as a project is often beneficial.

For this purpose, Holte Academy is a key player. “Our core competence is to help individuals and businesses work smarter through new insights and increased competence within the project subject,” says Kerstin Wenzel, CEO and trainer at Holte Academy. “A systematic and continuous development of the company’s expertise is paramount. When projects are implemented, many resources are involved, and ultimately it affects the company in a profound way. Businesses can be negatively affected in countless ways if the basic project understanding is poor and the expectations and skills of the people involved are not balanced. It is important to ensure that the company’s employees have profound project management skills to deliver in line with the management’s expectations, and to realise the desired benefits to achieve the desired effect. Companies who manage their projects well will experience a better outcome in reaching the company’s strategic goals.”

Helping companies succeed in projects – through best-practice training
Increased competence within the project subject is an investment in the individual employee and the foundation for the future of the business. “In order to succeed in project work, the key persons within and outside the organisation must have the necessary skills,” says Wenzel. “The money invested in boosting skills is nothing compared to the potential losses if projects fail again and again. We want to help companies succeed. It’s important to get the level of ambition right, and that you have a step-by-step approach to increasing project competence in the company. Here, Holte Academy can assist on all levels: from establishing a shared understanding of the fundamentals of project work and vocabulary amongst employees involved in a company’s projects, to offering advanced courses on topics such as project governance, managing benefits and management of project portfolios. The latter are courses that have more of a strategic dimension on a business level.”

Holte Academy delivers high-quality courses and has built up a network of loyal, returning customers. They have assisted companies with both advisory services and training courses within project management. Team and leadership development have also been central; it is crucial that everyone who works on a project has the correct competence and understands the model. This may remove unnecessary obstacles and misunderstandings, and will make a good foundation for more successful projects. Every individual in the team works the same way, has the same conceptual approach, and shares a common foundation through learning. This is a good starting point for success.

“We also provide project competence programmes with several course modules for both small and large companies,” Wenzel adds. “We map the needs of the company and assemble the right building blocks. We are also a provider of large training programmes. We call them Project Schools, and they often last several years.” Examples of customers are Norwegian companies BaneNor, Avinor, Instalco, and various municipalities.

The role of a project manager is complex, and it requires the individual undertaking it to master several skills. In addition to being capable of managing a project as a working method, a project manager needs to have interpersonal skills, know how to create strong and efficient teams, and be a good communicator. Holte Academy offers courses and certifications at all levels within the subject. Many choose to be certified within the PRINCE2® method. “We take great pride in our PRINCE2® certification courses,” says Wenzel, “We aim to deliver quality. We want the individual to experience an increased feeling of competence during their project work.”

A ‘Project Week’ to develop project skills quickly
The course programme ‘Prosjektuka’ (Project Week) takes place in April and November each year. This is a public course programme of eight different courses offered to companies and individuals who wish to acquire new knowledge within the project subject through one or more intensive one-day courses in a week. The week is composed of intensive courses that provide both theoretical and practical insights into how to work smarter and succeed in project work. There are courses for both beginners and more experienced project managers. Many companies choose to send several employees who tend to spread over several courses. The week can also make a useful supplement for new employees who need to gain basic insight into the subject of project work.

The next ‘Prosjektuka’ course programme will be held 5-8 November. See the course programme and read more at www.prosjektuka.no

Holte Academy:

- Provides public courses and certifications in the subject of project work at all levels
- Provides project competence programmes and corporate internships
- Customises courses for business needs
- Offers facilitation of workshops and lectures
- Offers team and management development within the project team

PRINCE2® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.

Web: www.holteacademy.no