As students prepare to make decisions about what they’d like to study and pursue in their final years of school, project management skills could come in quite handy.

That’s what the Melbourne-based chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI) believes, and has been teaching students in Gisborne through the Project Management for Life (PM4L) program.

PM4L spokesperson Vikki Kapoor helped deliver the program to about 150 year nine students at Gisborne Secondary College in May, teaching lessons in teamwork, communication, confidence and leadership.

“Generally, year nine is a time when students start to think about their career… they’re thinking about what subjects they’re going to take in VCE… so maturity-wise it is the right age,” Mr Kapoor said.

The college’s junior school engagement and wellbeing leader Christine Tate said the PM4L team kept students engaged with “stimulating” group work, exercises and games.

“Students also [said] that they enjoyed the interactive and group-based nature of the class, with the presenters’ enthusiasm making the session interesting for all,” Ms Tate said.

Mr Kapoor said through the program, students were assigned industry projects in a group, which helps them to improve teamwork skills. Delivered by the facilitators and volunteers from PMI, Mr Kapoor believes the Gisborne program was a success.

“Project management… [is a] skill they can apply in daily life,” Mr Kapoor said.

By the end of the sessions, Mr Kapoor said Gisborne students understood what a project really was, and what they can learn and improve on.

“Our time and effort is worth it. It gives a really great feeling that we are empowering and preparing the next generation who are going to take the future for us,” Mr Kapoor said.