FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Business Critical Solutions (BCS), a specialist business dedicated to optimising digital infrastructure across the globe, has enrolled five new recruits onto its 2024 apprenticeship programme, its largest intake since it started the scheme six years ago.
Run in partnership with Southbank University, it is part of the company’s commitment to help tackle the well-documented skills shortage in the engineering and data centre sector, whilst getting people back into the workplace.
In addition to the latest intake, the company is also currently supporting 12 other apprentices undertaking University degrees. The scheme is part of BCS’ long-term growth strategy and the programme and is open to candidates via both MSc and BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management and the BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying course.
Alongside their higher education studies, apprentices gain valuable on-the-job experience working across the company’s entire client portfolio. They work closely together with and learn from seasoned experienced data centre professionals while witnessing the full lifecycle of hyper-scale data centre construction project – from the initial blueprint stages to final delivery, testing and commissioning. Weekly structured training sessions are also given covering a wide range of project and cost management topics to align with the RICS APC pathways.
Technical skills development is addressed through a multitude of both MEP and CSA sessions centred around construction technology including critical fire suppression systems, ventilation equipment and specialist lighting amongst others. In addition, these sessions extend beyond the technical aspects of the industry by offering workshops on essential soft skills, including effective communication, motivation, leadership, and presentation expertise.
Chris Coward, Director of Project Management at BCS, said: “We remain committed to nurturing the next generation of industry professionals through this programme which reflects the overall learning culture here at BCS. We believe in the power of continuous learning and development and coaching for all our colleagues whilst providing the resources and opportunities everyone needs to grow both personally and professionally, whether this is through our innovative training programs, mentorship, coaching and our cutting-edge learning management system. By investing in our people, we not only enhance their skills and knowledge, we also drive the success and growth of BCS.”
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.
