Facilities manager: Training

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)  offers a number of qualifications. These include the level 5 facilities management qualification, which is aimed at those who deal with specialised and complex functions at middle or senior management level, and the level 6 qualification, aimed at facilities managers with high levels of responsibility who wish to develop their strategic skills.

If you have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)  you can become a chartered surveyor within the Facilities Management (FM) Faculty. To do so you must successfully complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) offered by RICS, which is a structured training programme lasting around two years. Training needs to be logged and evidenced and you will have regular meetings with a supervisor. You also need to complete a set amount of hours of professional development and pass an assessment interview.

Facilities managers are also involved in continuous professional development, usually made up of external short courses and in-house training. As well as practical and business skills training, some courses in areas such as health and safety, and legislation and regulation will be essential for relevant certification. Specialist training opportunities are offered by organisations such as the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV)  and the Facilities Management Association (FMA) . In addition, Masters degrees are increasingly popular qualifications for the sector.

It’s also important to keep up to date with developments in the sector and becoming a member of organisations such as BIFM, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)  and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)  can help.

For further ideas about training, go to Asset Skills .