The Ingersoll Rand Charitable Foundation has awarded $25,000 to support the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu facilities management program. This funding will be dedicated to a pilot certification program for facilities managers to achieve a sustainable facility manager certification through the International Facility Managers Association.
“Commercial buildings are complex facilities. To a hospital, corporation or education system, the actual building itself is a critical asset for them to achieve their mission. The technical skills required to manage these buildings are changing as technology evolves and people’s expectations around energy efficiency and indoor comfort increase,” said Scott Lagana, Hawaiʻi business leader for Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand.
“As an industry, we need to address this skill gap by partnering with educational institutions to introduce this field to students. By doing so we can demonstrate the impact facility managers have—not only the overall productivity of the organizations they support—but world issues like energy efficiency and climate change.”
Meeting workforce needs
Buildings and facilities of all types have become much larger and more complicated. Computerized building control systems, networks and equipment devices have significantly increased the need for expertise in technical facilities management.
Two facilities management concentrations will be offered at UH West Oʻahu, one in the business administration division and a transfer pathway option for community college students into the bachelor of applied science program at UH West Oʻahu. Both options are designed to prepare students and working professionals for positions in the building and facilities management fields.
Participants will learn about topics including building operations, heating, ventilating and air conditioning system design and optimization, LEED building design, capital and operational budget planning and personnel management.
“We are extremely grateful to the Trane and Ingersoll Rand Corporations for this generous support of our facilities management initiatives,” said UH West Oʻahu Director of Strategic Initiatives Sherry Proper. “This sponsorship will enable us to further connect our facilities management curriculum with industry needs. Specifically, we will run a pilot program in May 2016 to provide a continuing education course in energy-efficient, sustainable facilities practices using the IFMA Sustainable Facilities Professional (SFP) curriculum that leads to professional IFMA SFP certification.”
