Early-career project management professionals from Transport for London (TfL) and Gardiner & Theobald have participated in a collaborative project simulation designed to develop practical delivery skills, strengthen teamwork and encourage knowledge sharing across organisations.
The Early Careers: Project Management Challenge, held on 13 October at TfL’s headquarters in Stratford, London, was delivered in partnership with the Association for Project Management (APM).
The event formed part of a cross-industry summit series aimed at bringing together graduates, apprentices and emerging professionals from different organisations and disciplines.
Participants worked in mixed teams to complete a project management simulation, reflecting the collaborative environment encountered when delivering complex projects.
Simulation challenge focuses on collaborative project delivery
The event was chaired by Oakley Slack, Assistant Project Manager at Gardiner & Theobald, and Aweni Iyalla, Projects and Programmes Graduate at TfL.
The central activity involved a Project Management Simulation Challenge, requiring participants to work together on a practical exercise before presenting their approaches to a judging panel.
The format was intended to encourage collaboration between individuals with different professional backgrounds, experience levels and organisational perspectives.
Following the simulation, teams presented their work to a panel comprising Manikanth Reddy, Academic Portfolio Manager at London Metropolitan College and APM London Network Chair; Dan Wynne, Partner in Infrastructure at Gardiner & Theobald; Liam Parkin, Professional Manager for Value and Continuous Improvement at TfL; and Daniel Rahamim, Innovation Manager at TfL.
The exercise provided an opportunity for participants to apply project management knowledge in a team-based setting and gain experience presenting their work to senior industry professionals.
Industry leaders highlight early-career development
The event included introductory presentations from Mark Cowieson, Partner in Infrastructure at Gardiner & Theobald, and Amanda Warner, Head of Project Management and Resourcing at TfL.
Both discussed the working relationship between their organisations and the opportunities available to professionals entering the project management sector.
Sophie Lawrence, Partnership Development Manager at APM, also provided an overview of the association’s Corporate Partnership programme and the professional development benefits available through APM membership.
The session brought together representatives from project delivery, infrastructure consultancy, professional development and innovation, providing participants with exposure to different aspects of the profession.
TfL emphasises value of cross-organisational learning
Amanda Warner said the challenge demonstrated the benefits of bringing early-career professionals together to develop their skills through practical experience.
“It was great to see the energy in the room and to watch graduates and apprentices from both Transport for London and Gardiner & Theobald take in the project challenge, as part of our early careers series,” she said.
“Beyond the technical challenge, the session provided a valuable opportunity for early-career professionals to collaborate across organisations, exchange ideas and build meaningful connections while experiencing the realities of project delivery.”
Warner also thanked those involved in organising and supporting the initiative.
The event reflects an approach to early-career development that combines professional networking with practical project management exercises.
By bringing together participants from a major transport organisation and an infrastructure consultancy, the challenge provided experience of working across organisational boundaries, a common requirement in infrastructure and construction project delivery.
The initiative also highlighted the role of partnerships between employers and professional bodies in supporting the development of emerging project management talent.
