January 2, 2004—A new organization has been formed in the UK incorporating the work of three former National Training Organizations (NTOs) for cleaning, housing and property services.
The name of the new organization Property, Housing, Cleaning and Facilities Management Skills (PHCFMS)—reflects the importance of Facilities Management as an increasingly expanding and influential part of the wider property services sector.
Over the next few months PHCFMS will develop to become one of 23 Sector Skills Councils with government recognition as the leading influences of education and training provision in the UK.
As PHCFMS Acting Chief Executive Richard Foxwell explains: “It is recognized that appropriate workforce skills are vital to ensure that organizations are effective in both the private and public sectors. Sector Skills Councils will be the vehicles for ensuring that training to meet the demand for these skills is readily available.”
Over the next few months a series of events is being held to bring together representatives from key organizations in the various sectors covered by PHCFMS. An event specifically for practitioners in Facilities Management is being organized early in the New Year.
This will enable organizations within the sector to voice their skills needs and workforce development priorities directly to education and training providers as well as government agencies involved in vocational education policy and workforce development. The forum will be based around practical workshop sessions. Professional facilities management bodies are supporting the event.
It is also intended that this event will prompt the development of an ongoing UK-wide skills forum for facilities management. Organizations attending the event will have the opportunity to shape the nature and content of future forums.
“It is essential that the emerging Sector Skills Council further develops its strong relationship with employers,” said Richard Foxwell. “To this end we are planning to hold regular sector- specific events to ensure that education and training keep pace with employers evolving needs. This is particularly important in the facilities management area which, as a relatively new discipline, is continuing to develop whilst taking on increasing strategic importance within organizations whether as an in-house facility or as an external provider of services.”
For more information, contact Rebecca Collard at PHCFMS 01/392-682444.
