Double celebration for Team DTSA during #BHM2025 ... !!
- Digital Twin Skills Academy CIC
- Oct 16
- 5 min read
"The timely and very kind invitation from Nermeen Latif, WSP was well received, and the day itself was an investment into the Project Management profession" _ Dr Bola Abisogun OBE
Credit: APM
Going back to the Midlands, and specifically Telford, was special, taking me back to my initial year (in 1991) at the University of Wolverhampton, where my journey began in Walsall and required frequent trips, for lectures held at our Telford Campus .......
Credit: APM
As a fairly 'competitive' regional network, promotion of this amazing event began in earnest, back in July / August 2025 ........
Credit: APM
In typical 'PM' fashion _ as articulated on the day, by Dr Darren Jaundrill ...... the planning was meticulous, starting with a friendly 'virtual' roundtable - complete with my fellow PQS and Head of AI and Data, James Garner FRICS, from Gleeds .......
Credit: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE
So, for those unaware of the APM, here is a potted history, celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2022 ....... both recognising their values 'Progressive, Thoughtful, Warm and Excellent' _ and a 'pivotal' milestone, in successfully achieving 'Chartered' status, in 2017
Credit: Construction Industry Council
And, to my lovely surprise, I then find out that a very dear colleague and long standing member of my own network, Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, DL _ is not only their current President, but the first Black woman to hold the position too (!), famously succeeding the first APM female President, Sue Kershaw (back in 2019), who fortuitously succeeded her role from the APM's very first Black male President, David Waboso CBE .........
Credit: APM
And in my role (since November 2022) as the Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, at the Construction Industry Council .........
Credit: Construction Industry Council
.............. I can see that, just like the Construction Industry Council, the APM is a professional body that clearly takes equity, diversity and inclusion, very, very seriously; bravo APM!
Credit: The Construction Index
Embracing AI, as a Project Management professional .... 'the new SuperPower'
Moving back to the main event, and the topic of AI which has quickly become a huge focus for the APM; citing a number of opportunities and 'seven lessons in AI' for their members to consider and embrace .....
Credit: APM
Excerpt:
"While most businesses now have artificial intelligence (AI) policies in place – largely to police quality, enforce ethics or address data protection issues – relatively few are pushing AI’s capabilities in formal project management processes beyond the basics. That’s changing fast.
A proliferation of AI tools and embedded AI functionality in existing systems is forcing teams to consider how to optimise it, scale its usage and redesign their operating model as new capabilities, use cases and hygiene factors come into play.
We caught up with three experts who are using AI to optimise operations and ensure they’re ready for what’s next, to give you seven takeaways you can use in your job."
The APM Midlands 'main event' at Harper Adam University, on 15th October 2025 ....
Credit: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE
It was a pleasure to hear from and finally meet (in person) Parmjit Chima, Executive Academic Director, Harper Adams University, the man 'leading the operation' .....
Credit: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE
Credit: WSP
The panel was introduced, by Nermeen, to a very warm and friendly applause ..... the audience, really was truly amazing & engaging ........ (thank you to all those that attended!)
Credit: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE
Both Paramjit and I, brielf explored his journey from Birmingham into Telford and the vast potential of the 'Harper Adams' vision. Naturally, I had to take the opportunity to steer him into the conversation about the 'commercial opportunity' and pending use and wider adoption of Digital Twins, alongside and underpinned by our work at (Level 3) across the DTSA
Recognising, our well documented approach and commitment to Young People, we resonate with many of the values articulated on the day; and, all I can say, is watch this space .... 🚀🚀
Credit: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE
Last year, during #BlackHistoryMonth in October 2024, we established a 'working relationship' with the Digital Twin Hub 'aka DT Hub ...... our focus was Young People and our mission is to 'educate, empower, and equip' them with the requisite skills ......... to both (1) explore, navigate and (2) thrive in and across an 'eco-system' of connected digital twins.
Excerpt:
Digital Twin Hub supports introductory digital twin microcredential from the Digital Twin Skills Academy CIC _ 30th October 2024
"The Digital Twin (DT) Hub is delighted to announce its support for the Digital Twin Skills Academy‘s (DTSA) introductory Digital Twin Microcredential course.
The course is part of the DTSA’s programme to develop new training opportunities in digital technologies for ‘inner-city’ young people, notably 16-25 year-olds who for an array of reasons have little or no understanding about the plethora of career opportunities in the newly emerging area of digital construction.
The introductory microcredential is being developed by DTSA founder and Chief Excitement Officer Dr Bola Abisogun OBE in association with OCN London and will be based on knowledge from the Digital Twin Hub, including the foundational Gemini Papers and DT Hub online learning Data and Digital Twins. As a first step, the DT Hub is proud to fund the certification of 100 students passing through the course.
The new DTSA digital twin microcredential will be launched fully in the New Year and will be made available and hosted on the DTSA platform. Endorsed by OCN London, the course will also include details of the soon-to-be-launched Information Management Initiative led by the Construction Leadership Council.
Training will be delivered in ‘bite-sized’ chunks of learning, as a preferred method of learning / upskilling following extensive consultation and advocacy across the construction industry."
Last month during September 2025, after eight-years of campaigning, we finally achieved, approval of our very first micro-credential_ called in Introduction to Digital Construction using Digital Twins ..... formally approved by OCN London and, supported by the DT Hub.
The DT Hub #PressRelease followed and after our amazing APM event, I took a moment to digest this second pivotal milestone via our 'new partnership' received on the same day .....
The affirmation, was and remains self-explanatory; its a humbling recognition of the last two and a half years since we began operations back in April 2023 ........ in light, and full recognition of the 'commencement' of the operational phase, of recent generational reform, aka, the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022 (and the Golden Thread)
The 'official beginning' of a new era and chapter, for the Digital Twin Skills Academy ......
The final statement by our Client Sponsor, Catherine Condie (DT Hub, Young People in STEM Champion), embodies what are now seeking to achieve by engaging with Young People, from all walks of life, but particularly those from disenfranchised, disengaged, disillusioned and under-served communities ...... where (in line with our core mission) the creation of #SocialValue as part of the mainstream 'digital' construction delivery process, remains our core pillar and 'central' to our growing commercial offer.
Author: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE, founder & CEO _ AI-QS Limited
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