Enhancing APM Member Value with Audio Learning

How the Association for Project Management brought podcast-style learning to 28,250 members.

Summary

The Association for Project Management (APM) is a chartered membership organisation supporting the project management profession. They provide qualifications, research, resources and networking opportunities to a diverse, international community of project professionals.
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In 2022, APM became Assemble You’s first customer.
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What began as an initial library of 50 learning podcasts has since grown into a curated collection of 200+ Assemble You lessons, giving members access to high-quality learning in formats they already choose in everyday life.
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Curated by Digital Learning Manager Sarah Layzell, Assemble You now forms a core part of APM’s digital member offering.

The Challenge:
Driving Voluntary Engagement at Scale

As a membership organisation, APM faced a very different challenge to traditional corporate learning teams. Learning usage is entirely voluntary. Members are not required to complete training. Engagement depends on relevance, perceived value and ease of access.

Key challenges included:

Voluntary Engagement

Members must actively choose to use the platform for their own professional development.

Specialist vs. General Skills

APM produces excellent project-management-specific content, but wanted to complement this with high-quality learning on broader workplace skills.

Broad Audience

From early-career professionals to senior leaders, across multiple industries and sectors, APM needed content with wide appeal.

The Solution:
A Learning Library Built in Formats Members Already Love

APM integrated Assemble You’s podcast-style lessons as an exclusive digital benefit for paying members.
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This allowed APM to expand beyond project management expertise and offer a wider power skills library, including:

General business and workplace skills

Customer service

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Team management and leadership

Microsoft tools (Excel, Copilot)

“[Assemble You] really allows us to fill that gap of content where we're not the subject matter experts.”

— Sarah Layzell, Digital Learning Manager, APM

The Impact:
Micro-Learning Formats. Macro Results

Short, audio-first lessons quickly resonated with APM’s professional audience.
Members use Assemble You to refresh knowledge, solve real workplace challenges and build everyday capability - without disrupting their day.

Key drivers of impact:

Immediate Utility

10-minute lessons are perceived as practical and actionable.

Familiarity

Podcast-style learning fits naturally into existing daily habits.

Strong Topic Demand

High engagement across Productivity, Microsoft Tools/AI and Behavioural Skills (confidence, wellbeing).

"I've heard from learners that spending 10 minutes on something is much more useful than having to spend two hours working through a course. It's something you can do in your lunch break and start having an immediate impact."

— Sarah Layzell, Digital Learning Manager, APM

Advice for L&D Leaders

Curate, Don’t Dump

Tailor content to learner needs rather than releasing everything at once.

Focus on Impact

Look beyond completions and hours. Measure workplace application and learner feedback.

Take a “Buffet” Approach

Encourage exploration and refine based on what learners gravitate towards.