Emily Mertz Communicates Value of Sustainable Skills to Project Managers

The field of project management has increasingly shifted towards a focus on value creation, recognizing that long-term success depends not only on meeting traditional project objectives—such as scope, time, and cost—but also on delivering broader value.  Sustainability has emerged as a key component of this value, with an emphasis on minimizing environmental impact, fostering social responsibility, and ensuring economic viability. Project managers are expected to balance financial performance with the ability to create lasting positive value for multiple stakeholders, including the environment and future generations. This evolution in project management underscores the need for a more holistic approach that integrates sustainability into every phase of the project lifecycle, from planning to execution and evaluation.  However, constraints exist that hinder the integration of sustainability in projects by project managers. Some of these constraints include limited knowledge of sustainability principles, green technologies and materials, as well as sustainability competencies, training, and tools.  Consequently, there is a growing need to integrate sustainability competencies, tools, and methodologies into project management education. This can be achieved through curriculum development in university project management courses, training provided by the project management office or the broader organization, and professional development workshops.  To address this knowledge gap, the School of Applied Professional Studies (APS) at Arizona State University (ASU) has partnered with GPM-Global, a "global organization that advocates for sustainability in the project profession," making ASU an official training partner of the GPM-Global curriculum and GPM-b certificate.  This partnership provides an opportunity to engage with and teach sustainability skills to professional project managers in the local community through professional development workshops. To promote the Green Project Management Workshop, I participated in a meeting of a local Project Management Institute (PMI) chapter, where I presented the workshop’s objectives and the importance of upskilling in green competencies. I also developed a promotional flyer and video, emphasizing the value the workshop offers participants—particularly in light of the growing demand for green skills.

In my presentation and video, I highlighted how sustainability-focused skills are increasingly sought after in today’s job market. LinkedIn’s 2023 Global Green Skills Report revealed that job seekers with at least one green skill have a median hiring rate 29% higher than the workforce average. Furthermore, LinkedIn’s 2024 report found that individuals with green skills or titles now experience a global hiring rate 54.6% above the overall workforce average, with this number rising to 80.3% in the United States. The PMI chapter meeting was well attended and generated interest, resulting in email inquiries and workshop registrations. The workshop itself was a success, and I'm proud of the engagement it received. However, I also see room for improvement. Hosting the next workshop on a different day of the week, beginning promotion earlier and through various mediums, and engaging more stakeholder groups could help increase participation even further.  I would like to extend my sincere thanks to STEMAP for the opportunity to be part of their cohort, PMI Phoenix for their continued support, as well as GPM Global and the School of Applied Professional Studies for their shared commitment to building a more sustainable future.