IFMA Foundation’s Global Workforce Initiative Welcomes First Member

IFMA Foundation's Global Workforce Initiative Welcomes First Member.The IFMA Foundation has welcomed C&W Services as the first charter member to its Global Workforce Initiative. The company is the first to make a five-year commitment to the initiative, which seeks to fill the growing facility management and facilities services (FM) workforce talent gap.

More than half of today’s FM practitioners are expected to retire in the next five to 15 years. In response, the IFMA Foundation is working with impacted industries around the world to make facility management and facility services a career of choice. The Global Workforce Initiative is developing a pathway to a facility management career by working with educators at all levels and increasing the number of accredited FM degree programs around the world.

“The IFMA Foundation is pleased to partner with C&W Services for this critical effort to ensure the continued sustainability of the facility management and facility services profession,” said IFMA Foundation Executive Director Jeff Tafel, CAE. “Every day, more organizations are coming to the realization that there is a serious labor shortage on the horizon within the industry and that without decisive action this shortage will have serious ramifications for the future of their organizations and the economy. As the first charter member of the IFMA Foundation Global Workforce Initiative, C&W Services is making a critical investment in its own future, the future of productive workplaces, and the future of those who run them.”

C&W Services provides of janitorial, maintenance, and other facilities services to more than 600 clients across North America. The firm has a 65-year history, and was renamed C&W Services in September 2015 following the merger of Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ.

“C&W Services has 14,000 employees focused on maintaining safe and effective environments in our clients’ facilities every day. Even with this deep bench of skilled employees, we recognize the critical importance of continuing to enhance the profile of facility management and facility services as an important career,” said Paul Bedborough, President of C&W Services. “Facilities staff are behind the scenes keeping the world’s workplaces, plants, schools, malls and public venues operating at peak performance. We’re honored to be part of an industry initiative to bring this important sector to the forefront as a career choice, and to celebrate the people – across all the trades – who keep facilities running smoothly every day.”