If you’ve trained with Wellingtone before, or you’ve been browsing our course pages recently, you may have noticed something has changed. Where our courses were previously described as APM Accredited, they’re now marked as APM Endorsed.
This isn’t a downgrade or a slip in standards. Quite the opposite. APM has introduced a new quality mark specifically designed for specialist training like ours, and we’ve worked hard to ensure every eligible course meets that standard. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is APM Endorsed and how is it different from APM Accreditation?
APM, the Association for Project Management and the Chartered Body for the profession, has introduced APM Endorsed as a dedicated mark of excellence for standalone and specialist training programmes. It sits alongside APM Accreditation (which relates to formal qualification pathways and accredited providers as organisations) and is specifically designed to validate individual courses, CPD modules, and bespoke corporate programmes.
In short: APM Accreditation assessed us as an organisation. APM Endorsed validates each course on its own merits.
APM describes it this way:
APM Endorsed is the go-to indicator to the profession that their learning provision is aligned to the APM Competence Framework and will provide recognised, reliable and transferable knowledge.
The two marks are different tools for different purposes. APM Accreditation reviews the whole organisation and its qualification pathways and typically leads to formal regulated qualifications like the APM PMQ or PFQ. APM Endorsed zooms in on individual courses, confirming each one aligns with the APM Competence Framework and has been independently evaluated according to the specific discipline it is designed for (e.g. OKR and Benefits). It carries an annual renewal cycle, so the quality checks remain current. For specialist training outside formal qualifications, it is a more targeted and meaningful mark.
For our specialist courses across PMO, assurance, change management, and more, this is the right fit. It means the content of each course has been independently checked and confirmed to align with the APM Competence Framework, is appropriate for the discipline, and is given the global benchmark for professional capability in skills related to PMO and project management.
Does APM Endorsed mean the same level of quality as APM Accreditation?
No. If anything, it strengthens it.
APM Endorsed requires annual reviews for providers to demonstrate professional rigour in relation to the specialised training topic. The quality control is now focused more directly on the specific subject matter, rather than applied at organisational level.
Your certificate remains co-branded, and your learning remains aligned to the APM Body of Knowledge and Competence Framework. The core value of attending a Wellingtone course, rigorous specialist training delivered by experienced practitioners and recognised by the profession, has not changed at all.
What does it mean when a training course is APM Endorsed?
APM Endorsed is a mark of excellence from the Chartered Body for the Profession. For any course that carries it, you can be confident that:
- The content aligns with at least one competence in the APM Competence Framework
- The course has been independently evaluated by APM
- The learning outcomes are structured, coherent, and mapped to a globally recognised framework
- Your skills are industry-recognised without the need for a formal qualification pathway
- The learner journey is as important as ever
It is particularly well-suited to specialist disciplines like PMO, assurance, or agile for PPM practitioners, where learners want focused expert development rather than a route to a regulated qualification.
Can I use an APM Endorsed course for my CPD?
Yes. Completing an APM Endorsed course continues to count as valuable CPD activity. Learners can log their learning with APM, PMI, and IPMA as appropriate. Nothing has changed on this front.
Which Wellingtone courses are APM Endorsed?
All ten of our specialist courses have been awarded APM Endorsed status. You can also view them listed on the APM’s own learners page, where APM independently lists endorsed provisions for professionals looking for quality-assured training.
| Course | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Agile Project Management | Agile frameworks applied to project, portfolio and programme management |
| Assurance Practitioner | Integrated assurance, governance and review |
| Benefits and OKR Adoption Workshop | Benefits realisation and OKR-based goal setting |
| Change Management Practitioner | Leading and embedding organisational change |
| Legal Project Management | Project management principles applied to legal services |
| Planning Best Practice with Microsoft Planner | Practical scheduling and planning using Microsoft Planner |
| PMO Leader | Strategic leadership of project management offices |
| PMO Practitioner | Operational skills for PMO professionals |
| Project Management in the Public Sector | Project delivery within public sector constraints and governance |
| Sponsoring Successful Projects | The sponsor role in project governance and decision-making |
Why Wellingtone chose to pursue APM Endorsed status
We’ve had a strong accreditation relationship with the APM since we founded the Wellingtone Academy, and that partnership matters to us. We take our learner journey seriously, and being as closely affiliated as possible to the Chartered Body for the Profession is how we demonstrate that. APM Endorsed is the natural next step. It lets us go even further in validating the quality and relevance of our specialist courses, course by course, rather than just at an organisational level. I’m genuinely proud of every course on that endorsed list.
Emma-Ruth Arnaz-Pemberton, Director, Wellingtone
Does the change affect my existing APM Accredited certificate?
If you completed a Wellingtone course when it was APM Accredited, your certificate remains valid (you will see the change if you access you Accredible certificate and badge) and your learning remains recognised. The change in quality mark does not affect anything you’ve already achieved.
