Engaging the next generation
The workplace and facilities management profession is a diverse and dynamic industry which offers exciting career opportunities for individuals of all abilities and from all backgrounds.
Together with award-winning education consultancy Class of Your Own we have brought together tailored advice and guidance to encourage and inspire young people to explore the many pathways into our profession.
Our Career of Choice programme is helping to develop the next generation of workplace and facilities management professionals, young people who will create better workplaces for the benefit of businesses, the economy and wider society.
Explore
Resources for parents and students
1.1 Careers guidance
1.2 Campaign video
1.3 'Facilities management at home for children' worksheet
1.4 'Facilities management at school' worksheet
1.5 Apprenticeships
Resources for schools and volunteers
2.1 Facilitators Guide
2.2 Volunteer pack
2.3 School workshop request
About Class of Your Own (COYO)
3.1 Interview with COYO founder, Alison Watson
3.2 Latest news
Resources
Resources for parents and students
Careers guidance
What is a workplace and what is facilities management (FM)? We look at the huge range of buildings and places where people work, stay and visit – from offices to stadiums, hospitals to schools, shopping centres to museums – and how FM creates and maintains these physical spaces for the benefit of all their users. We explain what a facilities manager actually does and what steps you can take if you are interested in becoming part of the FM profession and helping to make our world a better place.
Career of Choice guidance for students
Look at the skyline of your local town or city. Think about all the different building...
Campaign video
Our schools workshops offer an introduction to workplace and facilities management in a relaxed and fun environment, and they are part of the curriculum. Run by IWFM professional members, the workshops are designed to provide an opportunity for interactive learning and problem-solving with students given the opportunity to carry out a facilities audit exercise of their own school.
'Facilities management at home for children' worksheet
The worksheet exercise has been adapted as part of the schools workshops to allow children to get involved at home. It demonstrates the varied nature of a workplace and facilities manager’s role. Children look at any problems - and potential solutions – surrounding health and wellbeing, energy and water, food and drink and purchasing and waste within their home and surrounding environment.
IWFM student home worksheet
'Facilities management at school' worksheet
The worksheet exercise included as part of the schools workshops demonstrates the varied nature of a workplace and facilities manager’s role. Students look at any problems - and potential solutions – surrounding health and wellbeing, energy and water, food and drink and purchasing and waste within their own school environment.
Student worksheet
Apprenticeships
For many young people leaving full-time education apprenticeships are an attractive option as they combine a genuine paid job with learning opportunities, enabling apprentices to gain practical workplace skills and experience as well as a valuable qualification. Apprenticeships in Facilities Management are available at Level 2 (equivalent to five good GCSE passes), Level 3 (equivalent to 2 A levels) and Level 4 (equivalent to a certificate of higher education).
Find out more about apprenticeships >
Resources for schools and volunteers
Facilitators Guidance
Detailed expert guidance for IWFM volunteers and teachers on facilitating successful schools workshops. Topics covered include: objectives, how to support teachers and students, safeguarding and DBS checks, planning, workshop delivery and next steps.
Facilitators guidance
Volunteer pack
We have put together a volunteer pack comprising a student workbook, worksheets and a presentation with guidance notes. As a volunteer, you can edit sections of the presentation so that it reflects your own career and experience. To get involved, please request yours.
School workshop request
If you are a teacher/member of staff and would like more information on our workshops and how to arrange a workshop for your students simply send us brief details via the link below.
About Class of Your Own (COYO)
Class of Your Own have been delivering one-day workshops and other built environment student engagement programmes to schools and colleges since 2009 and, from September 2012, the full and accredited Design Engineer Construct!® (DEC) learning programme which incorporates facilities management.
They are a Social Business, with social purpose objects and restrictions on the distribution of profits entrenched in their governing documents. Their aim is the achievement of their vision and mission through the delivery of the DEC learning programme, with corresponding increased positive social outcomes. They work in partnership and collaboration with schools, government and industry organisations to this effect.
Interview with COYO founder, Alison Watson
"After delivering a number of workshops with colleagues, it soon became clear that schools really valued the challenge, and especially the students, who got to meet real people from industry. It occurred to me that these students could learn so much more if their teachers could teach a dedicated programme that provided access to a wide range of professions – an actual curriculum that would address the growing skills gap in the built environment.
To get involved in our Career of Choice initiative, please contact [email protected]