FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
A new training programme designed to help building services firms work more closely with schools and inspire future generations of building services engineers has been launched by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).
The BESA School Engagement and Engineering Discovery (SEED) Programme is fully funded by the Association and was developed by the schools engagement specialists Built Environment Skills in Schools (BESS) which has worked with more than 4,000 schools across the UK.
The 12-week programme is designed to give engineers and business owners the skills and knowledge they need to engage effectively with their local schools and promote career opportunities in the building services industry.
The training will be delivered in three tranches with eight places available on the September intake with another eight in January 2025 and a third cohort setting out on their engagement journey in April.
BESA members regularly cite long-term skills shortages as the biggest challenge to their businesses and this new fully funded scheme is part of the Association’s response. Members will now have the chance to work with experienced educators to gain insights into engaging the interest of school children and inspiring them to want to work in a sector that can make a huge difference to major social issues like climate change, air quality, and health & wellbeing.
BESA’s Head of Skills & Policy, Stuart Rattray commented: “This is a groundbreaking exercise for our industry and an opportunity not to be missed. Early adopters can demonstrate their commitment to education and community involvement which will boost their reputation.
“It also gives them the opportunity to spot and nurture young talent early, creating a direct pipeline of future apprentices and employees who are already familiar with the company and the work opportunities available in our sector.
“By helping to educate and inspire future engineers today, employers are investing in the long-term success and sustainability of their companies and the broader building engineering services industry. They will be sowing the SEEDS for the future of skills in our industry.”
Topics covered in the training include understanding the National Curriculum, OFSTED requirements, safeguarding issues, and best practices for engaging with schools safely and effectively. The programme also shows employers how to build partnerships with local educators.
To sign up for the BESA School Engagement and Engineering Discovery (SEED) Programme click here.
Frontline workers form the backbone of facilities management services, serving as the face of the brand and interacting directly with customers. Yet research by both L&G and the Living Wage Foundation reveals the majority feel overlooked and expendable.
Accelerating the problem is a growing technology gap. Despite having 2.7 billion deskless workers worldwide, representing 80 per cent of the global workforce, only one per cent of software and technology investments has been allocated to this segment. This means there is a huge disconnect between frontline workers and their headquarters, leading to lack of sufficient training, communication challenges and low employee retention.
For this webinar, FMJ has teamed up with frontline training platform Lingio to bring together a panel of experts, to discuss how easy-to-use and efficient AI tools can help create engaging and gamified learning experiences that fit the needs of underserved deskless workers. The result? Better software and learning experiences lead to improved staff engagement and reduced staff turnover by up to 95 per cent, according to McKinsey.
To register for the webinar taking place on 11 September at 11:00 am click here.
