The FM skills gap is real. How are you going to close it? You can train your way out of it!
Hiring qualified and skilled facilities staff is very challenging for senior facility managers. The demand for FMs is high and mature candidates with the right skills can dramatically change their employment opportunities and become the talent that employers seek.
Going for training, additional certifications and credential renewal is par for the course. Facility managers might want to avail of findings published earlier this year about FM training based on results from the Facility Management (FM) Training Outlook Survey.
Addressing the FM skills gap
Facility managers require a much broader skill set than most professionals. From trades skills, to technical and soft skills, it can take an entire career to learn it all through experience. While some areas of FM change rapidly and need constant attention, such as technology, regulations, and standards, most skills have a long shelf life and are transferable across positions.
Understanding where skills gaps exist and investing in facility management training early will benefit individuals and employers for years to come.
- 80% of FM managers say the 24 topics included in the ProFM Body of Knowledge cover all the knowledge and skills needed for their teams’ success.
- 56% of FM managers identified environmental health and safety as a training priority for their teams.
- 59% of FM staff identified innovation as a top training priority for themselves.
Addressing an organization’s FM skills gap starts with an understanding of existing skills and future needs. Individual and team self-assessments are a simple way to establish a benchmark for growth.
Since 2019, the Professional Facility Management Institute (ProFMI) and Building Operating Management (BOM) magazine have been conducting the Facility Management (FM) Training Outlook Survey to determine the need for facility management training and credentials from both the management and staff points of view. The latest survey was conducted in January through April of 2023 to identify top FM challenges and workforce trends, determine the current need for FM training and credentials, and gauge how sentiments may have shifted over time.
This study answered several key questions across the following four categories:
- Building and retaining the FM workforce
- The value of FM training
- Addressing the FM skills gap
- The importance of FM credentials and qualifications
Survey participants included readers of The McMorrow Reports and FMLink.
At this link, download the full FM Training Outlook Survey Report for 2023.