Facilities Management - Case Studies

Steven Roles

Finishing a 22-year career in the Royal Army Medical Corps this month, as a Staff Sergeant Combat Medical Technician, 39-year-old Steven Roles is looking for his first civilian job. Rating his ‘management and leadership, facilities management, and health and safety training and experience as useful’ his service in the UK and Germany included operational tours in Iraq, Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

He takes with him a range of formal qualifications which include such subjects as environmental management, NVQ assessment, manual handling, health and safety, risk assessment, energy and waste conservation. Following a Career Transition Workshop – ‘CV writing was very helpful as was some of the direction in job hunting’ – he took a four-week residential facilities management course at the Resettlement Training Centre that included the BIFM Part 1 Exams. He also gained First Aid at Work Trainer & Assessor and CIEH Professional Trainer Certificate qualifications through PPD Solutions.

‘Though I have not yet secured employment one area I was keen to pursue was my Membership of BIFM,’ observes Roles. ‘Membership is acknowledged throughout the sector as demonstrating a good knowledge of FM and, for a lot of FM roles, membership can be the difference between securing or not the role you are seeking. It is also a vital networking tool.’

Published May 07

Gordon Hitchen

In 1997, Warrant Officer Class 2 Gordon Hitchen came to an end of a 22-year engagement in the Royal Signals. Now aged 50, the combat lineman and driver specialist had spent his career in the UK, Germany and Cyprus, and had been Mentioned in Despatches for Northern Ireland service. He now rates experience in management (of people, organisations, programmes and projects, health and safety, and logistics) as important in his new career.

A Career Transition Workshop ’opened my eyes to opportunities,’ and he also took an ‘excellent British Institute of Facilities Management course at the Aldershot Resettlement Centre. This provided background and insight into the industry, and led to a BIFM qualification.’

It took Hitchen nine months of sending out CVs to find his first job as a £10-per-hour temporary health and safety advisor for Transco. A few months later he joined Johnson Controls and, six promotions later, he is well into his current role as Business Improvement Director on a BBC contract, ‘providing value for money services and risk mitigation to ensure a safe and sustainable environment to work in.’ This involves the

management of all catering, cleaning, maintenance and security and to remove all risk for the customer in their business critical environments.

‘I like all aspects of my role, it is different every day and you meet a variety of people. I enjoy the customer engagement and staff development, helping others achieve their potential. I have almost tripled my salary in the last 10 years.’

Published October 08