Impactful, powered by LRMG, is offering a 240-credit Project Manager learnership for people who want to build practical skills in planning, budgeting, team coordination, risk control and project delivery.
Applicants need Grade 12 or an equivalent NQF Level 4 qualification that includes Communication and Mathematical Literacy. Successful learners can work towards the Occupational Certificate: Project Manager at NQF Level 5.
The programme combines 80 knowledge credits, 100 practical skills credits and 60 workplace experience credits. Therefore, learners will not only study project management principles but will also apply them while initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects.
The qualification carries South African Qualifications Authority identification number 101869, while the factsheet lists learnership Q-number 32Q320065282405. Services SETA serves as the Assessment Quality Partner.
However, the available programme factsheet does not state a 2026 closing date, stipend, duration or direct application form. Interested candidates should confirm the current intake arrangements with Impactful before submitting documents or making payments.
Who can enrol for the Project Manager learnership?
Impactful designed the programme for people who want to enter project management or strengthen the skills they already use when coordinating teams and deliverables.
Applicants should have one of the following:
- Grade 12
- A National Senior Certificate
- A National Certificate Vocational at Level 4
- Another NQF Level 4 qualification that includes Communication and Mathematical Literacy
The learnership may suit individuals starting a project management career. In addition, professionals who already supervise tasks, coordinate teams or drive business outcomes may use the qualification to formalise their experience.
The programme may also suit:
- Project support employees
- Aspiring project coordinators
- Team leaders
- Operations coordinators
- Employees responsible for deadlines and deliverables
- Professionals preparing for project leadership responsibilities
Organisations can also use the programme to strengthen project execution while supporting their Workplace Skills Plans.
Why does Impactful focus on practical project delivery?
Projects help organisations implement strategy, introduce services, improve systems and deliver change. However, weak planning can cause missed deadlines, budget overruns and unclear outcomes.
Impactful’s programme aims to move learners from understanding project management to applying it in realistic situations.
Throughout the qualification, learners will develop the ability to:
- Initiate projects around defined objectives
- Prepare complete project plans
- Develop timelines and schedules
- Estimate and control costs
- Coordinate project teams
- Manage risks and procurement
- Communicate with stakeholders
- Monitor quality and performance
- Control project delivery
- Complete formal project close-out processes
As a result, learners can understand how each project phase connects to the next.
What qualification will successful learners receive?
Learners who complete all requirements can receive the Occupational Certificate: Project Manager at NQF Level 5.
The qualification carries 240 credits, divided as follows:
- Knowledge modules carry 80 credits
- Practical skills modules carry 100 credits
- Work experience modules carry 60 credits
This structure gives learners a strong theoretical foundation while also requiring extensive practical application.
The qualification prepares learners to use project management knowledge in a specific field. Therefore, participants may apply the same core skills in sectors such as construction, information technology, education, finance, public services, marketing or operations.
What will learners study before managing projects?
The knowledge component introduces the concepts that project managers use to guide projects from the first proposal to final handover.
Learners will study:
- Project management frameworks and processes
- Business ethics
- Project integration
- Scope management
- Time and schedule management
- Cost management
- Quality management
- Project human resources
- Communication management
- Risk management
- Procurement management
- Stakeholder management
These modules help learners understand how projects operate as connected systems.
For example, a schedule affects the budget, while changes to the scope can affect resources, quality and delivery dates. Therefore, project managers must consider the full project rather than manage each area separately.
How will learners initiate and define a project?
Every project needs a clear purpose before work begins.
During the initiation modules, learners will practise interpreting a project charter, brief and supporting documents. They will also determine the main requirements and needs behind the project.
Learners may then develop:
- A project management approach
- A clear scope statement
- Defined project objectives
- Stakeholder requirements
- A Work Breakdown Structure
- Initial project boundaries
- Project initiation documentation
These activities help learners turn a broad idea into a structured project.
Furthermore, participants will learn how to consult clients and stakeholders before finalising the scope.
How will the learnership develop planning skills?
Planning forms one of the largest parts of the programme because strong delivery depends on clear preparation.
Learners will practise how to:
- Define project activities
- Arrange activities in the correct sequence
- Estimate the resources required
- Estimate how long activities will take
- Develop a project schedule
- Calculate expected costs
- Prepare a project budget
- Plan quality requirements
- Develop communication processes
- Plan human resource requirements
- Identify possible risks
- Prepare procurement arrangements
The qualification also teaches learners how to combine these elements into a complete project management plan.
Consequently, participants can see how decisions made during planning influence the rest of the project.
Which budgeting and cost skills does the programme cover?
Project managers must control spending while ensuring that the project still meets its objectives.
The qualification therefore includes project cost planning, estimation, budgeting and control.
Learners may practise how to:
- Identify project cost requirements
- Prepare cost estimates
- Develop project budgets
- Track spending against the budget
- Monitor cost changes
- Identify possible overspending
- Control costs during delivery
- Report financial concerns to stakeholders
These skills help learners understand that project budgets require continuous attention.
Although a project may begin with an approved budget, unexpected changes, delays and additional resources can affect final costs.
How will learners manage timelines and deadlines?
The programme includes detailed schedule management because delays can affect budgets, stakeholders and final outcomes.
Learners will develop skills in:
- Planning schedule management
- Defining project activities
- Sequencing tasks
- Estimating resources
- Estimating activity duration
- Developing a complete schedule
- Monitoring progress
- Controlling schedule changes
In practice, learners may compare planned dates with actual progress and identify tasks that require urgent attention.
They will also learn how to adjust schedules while maintaining control of the wider project.
What will learners discover about teams and leadership?
Project managers often coordinate people from different departments, organisations or professional backgrounds.
Therefore, the programme includes project human resource management and team performance.
Learners may develop the ability to:
- Plan project staffing requirements
- Recruit and select project team members
- Assign responsibilities
- Develop team capability
- Monitor team performance
- Address conduct concerns
- Support cooperation between team members
- Apply occupational health and safety controls
The programme does not focus only on giving instructions. Instead, it teaches learners how to guide people, manage expectations and keep the team focused on agreed outcomes.
How does the qualification cover communication and stakeholders?
Projects can fail when stakeholders receive incomplete information or misunderstand their responsibilities.
The programme therefore includes both communication management and stakeholder engagement.
Learners may practise how to:
- Identify project stakeholders
- Understand stakeholder expectations
- Prepare communication plans
- Conduct project communication
- Control the flow of information
- Manage stakeholder engagement
- Report project progress
- Address concerns
- Record project decisions
Clear communication can also help project managers identify risks before they develop into larger problems.
Moreover, accurate records create accountability when teams make changes to the project plan.
How will learners manage project risks?
Every project faces uncertainty. Risks may relate to suppliers, schedules, costs, resources, quality or external events.
The qualification covers the full risk management process.
Learners will study how to:
- Plan risk management activities
- Identify possible risks
- Complete qualitative risk analysis
- Complete quantitative risk analysis
- Develop risk responses
- Monitor identified risks
- Control risks during delivery
Participants will also learn that risk management continues throughout a project.
A risk that appears unlikely during planning may become more serious later. Therefore, project managers must review their risk information regularly.
What procurement responsibilities will learners practise?
Many projects depend on external suppliers, materials or professional services.
For this reason, the programme covers procurement planning, supplier selection and contract control.
Learners may practise how to:
- Identify procurement requirements
- Plan procurement processes
- Source possible suppliers
- Secure approved suppliers
- Control procurement activities
- Monitor supplier performance
- Manage procurement documentation
- Close procurement arrangements
These activities help learners understand how supplier delays or poor procurement decisions can affect project delivery.
How will learners control project quality?
Project success involves more than completing work on time.
The final deliverables must also meet the required specifications and quality standards.
Learners will develop skills in:
- Planning quality management
- Identifying quality requirements
- Conducting quality assurance
- Monitoring project outputs
- Recording quality concerns
- Controlling project quality
- Confirming whether deliverables meet expectations
This process helps project managers identify problems before the final handover.
Additionally, quality control can reduce the cost and disruption caused by correcting completed work later.
What practical skills will learners apply?
The practical component carries 100 credits and allows learners to complete project management tasks in a controlled learning environment.
Participants will work through the project lifecycle by:
- Initiating a project
- Developing the scope
- Creating a Work Breakdown Structure
- Building a project schedule
- Estimating costs
- Preparing a budget
- Planning quality and communication systems
- Controlling schedules and costs
- Managing team performance
- Communicating with stakeholders
- Managing project risks
- Controlling procurement
- Completing project close-out activities
These practical modules prepare learners for the workplace experience component.
Rather than relying only on theory, learners must produce and manage the documents, processes and decisions used in project environments.
Itumeleng’s Insider Tip: Before enrolling, confirm that you will have access to active workplace projects. The qualification requires authentic project experience, and learners must complete several activities across at least two projects under supervision.
What workplace experience must learners complete?
The workplace component places learners in an environment where real projects have multiple deliverables.
Learners must receive exposure to the complete project lifecycle, including:
- Project initiation
- Project planning
- Project execution
- Project monitoring and control
- Project close-out
At first, learners may observe and assist an experienced project manager. Afterwards, they must complete activities under close supervision.
The work experience requirements include initiating and planning at least two projects. Learners must also complete execution, control and close-out activities across at least two projects.
This repeated exposure helps participants build confidence while handling real deadlines, client expectations and workplace pressures.
What workplace support must be available?
The host workplace must provide an environment that allows learners to complete the full qualification.
It should have:
- A functioning office environment
- Project management policies and procedures
- A workplace code of ethics
- Computer facilities
- Appropriate project software
- Electronic communication systems
- Active projects with multiple deliverables
- Enough project activity to cover the full curriculum
The workplace must also provide access to an experienced project management mentor.
According to the programme factsheet, the mentor should have recognised project management learning and at least three years of experience across the full project management scope.
Additionally, the learner’s technical field and project context should remain compatible.
How will learners close and hand over projects?
Project close-out confirms whether the project achieved its objectives and whether the final deliverables meet client expectations.
Learners will practise how to:
- Complete final project verification
- Assess customer satisfaction
- Review the achievement of specifications
- Record lessons learned
- Demobilise project resources
- Complete outstanding contracts
- Resolve open items
- Prepare project records
- Support project audits
- Complete client handovers
- Reconcile project information
A proper close-out process also helps the organisation retain important knowledge for future projects.
Therefore, learners must treat close-out as a formal phase rather than simply stopping work after delivery.
How will learners be assessed?
Learners complete internal assessments across the knowledge, practical and workplace modules.
The provider must formally assess and moderate these components in line with Quality Council for Trades and Occupations requirements.
After completing the required modules, eligible learners can proceed to the External Integrated Summative Assessment.
An accredited assessment centre conducts this assessment under the oversight of the Assessment Quality Partner. The assessment may include written, practical and workplace-based methods.
Learners must pass the external assessment to receive the occupational certificate.
Which training formats does Impactful offer?
Impactful lists three possible delivery methods:
- Classroom-based learning in Johannesburg
- Virtual instructor-led learning
- On-site delivery nationwide
The available format may depend on the intake and employer arrangement.
Therefore, individual candidates should confirm whether Impactful accepts direct learner registrations or delivers the programme mainly through employer-sponsored groups.
How can candidates enquire about the 2026 intake?
The available factsheet does not provide a direct application portal, closing date, stipend or confirmed programme duration.
Candidates and employers can contact Impactful at impactful@lrmg.co.za to request current intake information.
They can also submit an enquiry through the official Impactful website.
Before enrolling, prospective learners should request written confirmation of:
- The next intake date
- The complete programme duration
- Training and registration fees
- Available funding
- Whether a learner allowance will be provided
- Workplace placement arrangements
- Assessment costs
- Required supporting documents
- The delivery method
- Refund and cancellation conditions
Candidates should verify all payment instructions before transferring money.
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Final Thoughts
The Impactful Project Manager Learnership 2026 offers a structured pathway for Grade 12 holders and working professionals who want to develop formal project management capability.
Its 240-credit curriculum covers planning, scope, budgets, schedules, quality, teams, risks, suppliers, stakeholders and project close-out. Moreover, learners must apply these skills across practical modules and supervised workplace projects.
Successful completion can lead to an Occupational Certificate at NQF Level 5 after the learner completes every required component and passes the External Integrated Summative Assessment.
However, the programme factsheet does not confirm a 2026 deadline, stipend or duration. Interested candidates should contact impactful@lrmg.co.za and confirm all enrolment and workplace requirements before committing to the programme.