Enhancing Member Value with Audio Learning
How the Association for Project Management brought podcast-style learning to 28,250 members.
1972
Founded
UK
Princes Risborough
28,250
Members Reached
Mobile
Workforce
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.
In 2022, APM became Assemble You’s first customer. 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.
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 choose
APM integrated Assemble You’s podcast-style lessons as an exclusive digital benefit for paying members.
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.”
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."
Advice for L&D Leaders
Based on APM’s experience, Sarah Layzell shares three practical recommendations:
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.
Ready to drive real engagement at scale?
Explore the libraries, experience the formats and see how Assemble You helps organisations move beyond traditional eLearning.
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