The 2025 Workplace Event: navigating the skills storm to shape the future of work 

News

The 2025 Workplace Event at Birmingham’s NEC last week brought the workplace and facilities management (WFM) community together, revealing a sector at once optimistic and at a critical juncture. IWFM was front and centre.   

Leading conversations, networking and more, Institute leaders and expert members highlighted how the sector is navigating a "perfect storm" of pressures while playing a key role in shaping tomorrow’s world of work. The event also marked the launch of the latest episode in The Tech Survival Guide, part of IWFM Academy's WFM Essentials, a series of training guides, delivered through bitesize e-learning, that empower workplace and facilities management professionals to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving landscape. 

In one keynote session, IWFM's Director of Communication & Insight, Jenny Thomas, underscored the complex realities: rapidly evolving working conditions influenced by technological change, insufficient investment in skills and a critical shortage of qualified people. This situation, impacting a sector contributing over £100 billion to the UK economy, demands a strategic and proactive response. 

The forthcoming 2025 Market Outlook Survey report, which explores investment levels in key productivity drivers and the sector’s response to them, provided the context for exploring the fine balance between investment in technology and human capital that is key for productivity.  

By optimising operations and prioritising strategic upskilling, WFM can drive significant positive outcomes. The need for a strategic skills-focused approach was underlined by the Government Property Profession’s example. The government's 2030 commitment to accrediting 90% of its 7,000 property professionals with an approved professional body like IWFM illustrates how some organisations are taking a strategic approach to their organisation’s capability. Initiatives like the Level 6 Workplace Diploma and the Property Fast Stream, driven by The Office of Government Property (OGP) and the Government Property Agency (GPA), demonstrate a tangible commitment to structured skills development. 

In a prior session, with NED Simone Fenton-Jarvis and Workspace SIG Chair Ian Baker, Thomas noted that against key WFM metrics this year’s Market Outlook Survey report builds on the brighter outlook suggested in the 2024 report: Keep investing: the tide is turning. The workplace experts focused on the reality of ‘return to office’ mandates, contrasting views on workplace strategy and the need to drive productivity amidst budgetary constraints. Attendees discovered more about the investment landscape’s impact, alongside changing perceptions of remote and hybrid work as enabling factors. 

A third keynote session was led by IWFM's outgoing Head of Policy and Research, Sofie Hooper, with Technology SIG Chair Gordon Mitchell. It cautioned against chasing the "AI dream" without a solid foundation in strategic asset management and information management (IM). AI's effectiveness hinges on accurate, readily available data, often lacking in the sector. With a £49 billion maintenance backlog in government facilities, the importance of facilities managers in IM cannot be overstated. 

It’s not easy but by addressing these challenges head-on and seizing opportunities, WFM can proactively influence the future of work, driving performance and innovation. IWFM endeavours to support this mission. 

Visit Facilitate to learn more about IWFM’s additional Workplace Event sessions. IWFM thanks its amazing volunteer-led community and every individual who engaged throughout the event.

Discover The Tech Survival Guide, part of our WFM Essentials series, that equips workplace and facilities management professionals with the knowledge and skills to thrive in today's tech-driven world.

Look out for the 2025 Market Outlook Survey report later this month.