This is a debatable question about few years ago but at Present with the demand for this profession, there are no doubt this is the Career for the Present and future generations. If we analyze the Career responsibilities and demand it is very impressive as a Project professional , they will have to acquire all Managerial skills, which covers in the 9 Knowledge areas Such as :

Scope Management, Cost Management, Time Management, Communication Management, Quality Management, Human Resource Management, Risk Management, Procurement Management, Integration Management, in which the last 2 knowledge areas are to be applied across all other Knowledge areas. As a Project Manager, Highly required skills are Communication, team management and Integration of all above knowledge areas..

Secondly, While this is being taught in the Professional and academic levels, this Knowledge will be Daily applied with many important processes , techniques and tools, and how, where and when to apply to achieve the best results of selection of tools base on the industry guidelines. This methodology is to l make every project has some new skill to be Practiced and learned, therefore it will be an update of the skills and also applied in Professional and Personal life.

Thirdly " Life itself is a Project " and with the understanding of the Basics Knowledge of Project Management Concepts ,every one of us can achieve Results or life goals timely, with available resources with meeting the necessary risks too. For a youth it is better to understand and also acquire the necessary Basic skills and knowledge, which will help and guide them to reach the peak in any professional and personal life too. Present young generation has a new trend to change the career and also to manage their own professional practices or business, which make them clearly take this life new challenges into their hands with the Project Management education and professional qualification too.

It is the best and the most demanding Profession, IN DEVELOPING WORLD AND ALSO DEVELOPED WORLD , as there is a great demand for manage projects with limited resources with timely delivered, quality products/results are the requirement today.

If we understand this requirements and meet the future and present demand for project professionals to take the new challenges of national and international level, which cannot be met by the numbers produced even in 2025 as per survey performed. According to the global statistics, at present the world is short of over and above 300,000 Project management professionals. It is not easy to meet this demand, unless we take serious education and certification at planned manner, since the daily demand is increasing at a unimaginable rate. Sri Lanka alone at the rate of Projects progressing, after the 30 year old Civil war, Country needs over 10,000 Certified Project managers, however due to lack of such Project managers, most of them are managed by other professionals such as Engineers, Technical experts, Business Managers and accountants, which is not the best practice for best results as this is unique and multiple disciplinary Profession. If we look at Project management career path it can be clearly defined as below.

What is Project management Institute - USA and Chartered Chapters of Colombo role
Project Management Institute is a nonprofit making globally recognized organization which committed to enhance the project management skills and success rates of projects. Project management institute represent more than 170 countries with expertise over half a million trained professionals during past forty plus years. Project Management institute has also earned the ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and recognition from American National Standards Institute (ANSI) PMI (Project Management Institute) is the leading certification body for the project management field. Job security and advancement is vital in today's environment and project management is one of today's leading fields.

PMI Sri Lanka Chapter was inaugurated in year 2004,. Since then, PMI Sri Lankan Chapter has been contributing, positively towards the maturity of the profession of project management in our Country. Our chapter is headed by a team of very high caliber team of volunteer professionals with extensive experience in Project management. PMI Sri Lanka Chapter has been involved many voluntary and professional development activities from inception. Organizing seminars and workshop for Buddhist religious leaders during tsunami rehabilitation projects, conducting project management professional (PMP) and Certified Associate of project management (CAPM) credential examination in Sri Lanka, conducting seminars and workshops to increased awareness and professional development of leading government organizations such as Ceylon Electricity board, Sri Lanka telecomm, Institute of government finance managers association, Government project directors and senior officials of the government etc. are some of the voluntary contributions made by PMI Sri Lanka Chapter since its inception.

PMI offers many different certifications to verify levels of skill and experience in project management, as well as and certifications that show expertise in the specializations of scheduling and risk management. With varying requirements for each, all PMI certifications are well viewed by employers.

Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM):
The CAPM is the least rigorous of the PMI certifications, and is a good way to get your feet in the door to this career path. It is Ideal for many academically qualified personals who want to acquire project management skills. PMI identifies this certification as, "The CAPM® credential recognizes a demonstrated understanding of the fundamental knowledge, processes and terminology as defined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) that are needed for effective project management performance." It requires a Degree / high school diploma or equivalent qualifications and 23 hours of project management education before the exam can be taken.

Project Management Professional (PMP):
The PMP credential recognizes demonstrated knowledge and skill in leading and directing project teams and in delivering project results within the constraints of schedule, budget and resources. This is the original PMI certification. It requires 3 years of project management experience and 35 hours of project management education for those with a bachelor's degree or it requires five years of project management experience and 35 hours of project management education for those with associate degree or higher diploma, before the exam can be scheduled.

PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
PMI identifies this specialty certification as, The PMI-SP credential recognizes demonstrated knowledge and advanced expertise in the specialized area of developing and maintaining the project schedule. For those that have a bachelor's degree, you will be required to prove 3,500 hours of project scheduling experience and 30 hours of project scheduling education or for those that have a higher Diploma, you will be required to prove 5,000 hours of project scheduling experience and 40 hours of project scheduling education before you can schedule your exam

PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
The PMI-RMP credential recognizes demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the specialized area of assessing and identifying project risks while mitigating threats and capitalizing on opportunities.
With a bachelor's degree, this certification requires 3,500 hours of risk management experience and 30 hours of risk management education or with higher diploma, this certification requires 4,500 hours of risk management experience and 40 hours of risk management education before the exam cat be taken.

Academic Institutional Support - More and more colleagues, Universities can start this diploma and Degree Programmes with affiliations to Foreign Universities, or directly Local Government approved programmes, who has to develop similar curriculum.

With the knowledge Students can take CAPM (certified Associate Project Manager) certification as a starting point before they start new career path.
Management Trainees - many large group of companies can include the 40 hours of PMbook@ training to their Management training Module which helps in many general management modules.
If you are interested in further information and certification please visit : www.pmicolombo.org or join our volunteer programme.

COURTESY OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE - COLOMBO CHAPTER www.pmicolombo.org/saarc
Courtesy : Hugo Wisidagama, President PMI Colombo Chapter Aruna Kooragamage - Professional Development Director