25 June 2014
The Millennial Generation does not consider FM as a career path and is unaware of the industry, according to a study in the US.
A report by real estate outsourcing company JLL says that despite having skills and aspirations consistent with a career in FM, only around one per cent of millennial students surveyed were studying facilities management.
Many in this demographic cohort - those born between 1980 and 1998 - already work in fields related to FM, including science, technology, engineering and maths, as well as project management and architecture.
However, although 43 per cent of those surveyed had heard of facilities management, only a few knew what the job involved, says the report.
"A well-designed facility management career path is consistent with millennials' desire to have a voice and to inform, influence, collaborate, innovate and ultimately make a difference," according to Chris Pesek, director of JLL's Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) group.
The report found that 76 per cent of respondents cited internships as the best way of making career choices.
According to the report, The Future Of Facility Management: Attracting Millennial Talent, the average facilities management employee is 49, six years above the US general working population average. Demand for FM jobs far exceeds supply with a skills gap expected to worsen as Baby Boomer workers retire.
Other findings from the study are that despite a perception that millennials prefer smaller companies, they do not distrust large corporations.
The report includes data from a survey of 207 students and professionals in March.