National Careers Week: our South West Region shows off the sector to students

News

Taking place in the run up to National Careers Week, IWFM’s South West Region was delighted to meet secondary school students to highlight the benefits of a career in workplace and facilities management (WFM). Ashton Park School in Bristol hosted 50 organisations at its career fair, with IWFM providing insight into workplace and facilities management (WFM) and detailing the opportunities available.

Bringing the sector to life for students, IWFM detailed the important yet understated work that WFM contributes to the school, from structural engineering to water hygiene, grounds maintenance to commercial kitchen maintenance.     

Neil Archibald, Central Facilities Estates Lead at Excalibur Academies Trust, and IWFM South Region Committee member Paul Greatbanks were on hand to the hundreds of students who came through the doors.

Archibald comments: “My role was to introduce facilities management by explaining about all the things going on right under their noses! That’s the beauty of our industry though, while it’s vital to the running of a school, it also happens in a smooth and seamless manner leaving the students to get on with what they’re there to do – to gain an education.”

Greatbanks adds: “Our industry unfortunately is a shrinking one which is seeing more people leaving than joining. Events of this nature are therefore imperative to the raising of the profile of facilities management and encouraging engagement at a much younger age. A big thank you to all those involved in the success of this fair, including the IWFM, who are doing a sterling job for our trade.”

To discover how to engage the next generation with insight into WFM, click here to access our Career of Choice resources.