2021 FM TRAINING OUTLOOK SURVEY KEY FINDING 2
ADDRESSING THE FM SKILLS GAP
More employers are formalizing their FM knowledge and skill requirements in order to identify
gaps. However, training priorities differ according to managers and staff.
gaps. However, training priorities differ according to managers and staff.
SURVEY STATISTICS
In a 2017 study involving more than 3,300 professionals from around the globe, a standard set of critical facility management knowledge areas and competencies were identified.
Gaining experience and skills across this full body of knowledge can take an entire career if left to on-the-job learning. Identifying skills gaps and addressing them with training opportunities is the most efficient way to address growing needs.
What are the top priorities for FM managers and staff when it comes to facility management training?
FM managers identify capital planning and compliance & standards as their top training priorities for themselves.
FM managers say their teams’ top training needs are leadership skills, strategic planning, emergency management, and communication.
FM staff say their top training needs are capital planning, financial management, strategic planning, and compliance & standards.
- Funding for FM Training Is Limited and Declining.
of employers say they provide funding for staff to pursue external FM training or credentials/qualifications.
Down 8% from 2019
- Employers Are Formalizing their FM Departments’ Knowledge & Skill Requirements.
of employers have a formal definition of the FM knowledge and skills required for their FM team or department.
Up 16% from 2019
Training Priorities Vary for FM Managers and Staff.
Managers were asked to identify areas where their teams could benefit from training and areas where they themselves needed training. Staff were asked to identify their own training needs. Here are their ranked top 10 priorities:
Where FM Teams Need Training
(According to Managers)
- Leadership skills
- Strategic planning
- Emergency management
- Communication
- Capital planning
- Environmental health & safety
- Compliance & standards
- Innovation
- Project management
- Sustainability
Where FM Staff Need Training
(Self-Identified)
- Capital planning
- Financial management
- Strategic planning
- Compliance & standards
- Project management
- Contract management
- Sustainability
- Construction
- Emergency management
- Innovation
Where FM Managers Need Training
(Self-Identified)
- Capital planning
- Compliance & standards
- Strategic planning
- Leadership skills
- Emergency management
- Environmental health & safety
- Contract management
- Space management
- Financial management
- Project management
INDUSTRY REACTIONS
Join the conversation by reviewing some of the additional insights shared on this topic or by sharing your own.
What Industry Experts Are Saying
Our FM industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. Not only are we seeing a knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) gap, as seasoned professionals leave their organizations, but we’re also seeing FM professionals being asked to take on more strategic and business-oriented functions. With new ISO standards, regulatory changes, and redirection of business objectives, FM professionals are facing a spectrum of responsibilities that require a broad set of skills.
Stormy Friday, MPA, Hon. FMA, IFMA Fellow
President, The Friday Group
As an FM leader responsible for the execution of services at multiple properties, I feel it is imperative that our team members on the front line be equipped with the tools and skills necessary to perform successfully. In today’s busy climate, time is a high-priced commodity; team members would benefit from an efficient method to fill their toolboxes, and enhance their skillsets in short order.
Darrell X. Rounds, FMA®, C.E.M.
Operations Group Manager GM Sustainable Workplaces
Facilities management is truly coming of age in part due to its growth internationally but also in part to the growing competencies, skills, and awareness of those that are serving within the sector.
Stan Mitchell
CEO Key Facilities Management International
When you support your team to earn a holistic FM credential, you get everyone speaking the same language, moving in the same direction and working as a team. I chose to pursue a credential, and asked the management team to do the same, because I don’t want to ask my team to do something that I’m not willing to do myself.
Keith Tate, ProFM, AIA, CPM, LEED GA
Facilities Management Director, Polk County BoCC
A large percentage of facility managers that remained on site during the COVID pandemic typically worked for essential businesses and remained on site out of necessity due to unprecedented challenges. These FMs were executing business continuity plans, expanding sanitation services, performing temperature screening services, augmenting site and furniture configurations to accommodate social distancing, and more.
John Hajduk, ProFM
Vice President Facilities Services Sodexo