Meet Paul: A Facilities Management Success Story
Paul’s IFMA [International Facilities Management Association] journey began with his leadership at Haven of Hope. The Executive Director attended a presentation about the program and jumped at the opportunity to enroll him. At that time, Paul was the Maintenance Supervisor.
Class after class, he immersed himself in the content, special guests, facilities experts, and anything he could find about becoming a Facility Manager. He accepted every task given to him with pride and confidence. Towards the end of the five-month-long class, students completed a group project where they were given an everyday facilities situation and had to present their solutions to the problem. Dressed to the nines Paul nailed his presentation!
When he was told about open positions at other companies he always said: “No, I’m staying at Haven of Hope.” Even when a few caught his eye, his loyalty was never shaken. He loves what this organization stands for and didn’t want to work anywhere else.
At graduation, Paul had a team of five in the audience cheering him on – they were all so proud and it was beautiful to witness. Since graduation, he received a significant pay increase along with a well-deserved promotion to Facility Manager. He set a goal, studied hard, and followed his heart!
“The IFMA Program has given me a new start in the goal I [have] always wanted to fulfill. It has been a dream of mine to run the facility I currently work at. Haven of Hope is a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless and less fortunate; people who struggle day-to-day just to get something to eat…I was a guest here. When I was hired, I made it a personal goal to run this facility someday. IFMA and its Facility Management course has taken me a step closer to my goal. I encourage everyone to stick with it, even if you’re seeking employment with a Fortune 500 company or a nonprofit organization. IFMA has given me the tools to fulfill it with their constant assistance at any given time. To answer any hurdles that may be thrown your way. They are just a phone call away.” – Paul M., IFMA Graduate
The Facilities Management program is Goodwill of Colorado’s first partnership into the world of apprenticeships, and the work supported by this program will have significant impact on providing jobs in facility management careers. Forty-five individuals will be accepted into the pre-apprenticeship program, where they will earn credentials towards their facilities management apprenticeship through courses taken. At the end of the pre-apprenticeship program, 15 individuals will be selected to move into the facilities management apprenticeship, where Goodwill will work with each of them to help get them placed into a facilities management position.
Pre-apprenticeship training is provided at Goodwill’s main office located in Denver. At this time, only City and County of Denver residents are eligible, and anyone interested in learning more about the program or applying should contact if*********@go**************.org.
