With any career in the skilled trades industry, stability is of utmost importance. Things like job demand, employee turnover, and future growth are not only crucial for aspiring technicians to consider, but also for professionals who have decades of experience. The good news is that facility maintenance is here to stay and has a bright future ahead. Here’s why:
The Industry is Destined to Grow
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the facilities maintenance industry will add 86,000 new jobs by the year 2028 – an overall growth of 6%. Considering experts claim the U.S. may be heading towards its next recession, it makes sense to work within an industry that’s stable stability and expecting continued growth in the future. Additionally, there is a demand for skilled multi-family maintenance workers, making it more critical than ever to find dedicated and committed professionals.
Why Such Growth?
To start, the millennial generation is beginning to enter household-forming age, and although debt and financial obligations have delayed homeownership, it’s projected that they will begin purchasing homes in the next 10 years. This means multi-family buildings will be in higher demand than before.
Additionally, the baby boomer generation is nearing retirement and many out-of-date homes will require refurbishing and the installation of modern electric and HVAC systems. The need to keep their property in good condition opens a variety of opportunities for skilled trade workers to find jobs.
It’s the Backbone of Comfortable Living and Working
Not only is multi-family facility maintenance here to stay because of its industry growth potential, but also because it’s heavily relied on to keep living and working conditions optimal. Every inhabited building requires regular building maintenance in order for people to live and work comfortably. But, facilities maintenance is about more than just comfort.
Maintenance technicians are responsible for ensuring all buildings meet the safety standards set by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA) by performing regular inspections and preventive maintenance to address potential problems before they occur. Without facility maintenance, the buildings where people work and live would be uninhabitable.
It Saves Money
According to Pacific Partners Consulting Group, every $1 spent on maintenance saves $4 long- term, meaning multi-family building owners can save thousands of dollars over a building’s lifetime. When it comes to cost-effectiveness in the maintenance industry, it’s better to be proactive than reactive. An urgent repair or a surprise replacement of a system is going to be more costly than ongoing maintenance. Maintenance technicians save people money simply by just doing their jobs. And who wouldn’t want to save money?
Highly-Skilled Professionals Keep the Industry Alive and Well
To successfully perform a job in an industry that has such demand and growth potential, it takes the right kind of people. There are typically two primary types of facility maintenance workers in the multi-family building space, Facility Managers, and Maintenance Technicians. Both are highly-trained professionals who perform a unique set of responsibilities.
Facility Managers
Facility Managers tend to look at the bigger picture of building maintenance, looking for ways to improve the processes, staff, and service. They have responsibilities like:
- Coordinating and scheduling regular inspections
- Staying up-to-date with evolving technologies and best practices
- Writing and sending out work orders that technicians fulfill
- Ensuring maintenance technicians are receiving regular training and education opportunities
Maintenance Technicians
Compared to Facility Managers, Maintenance Technicians actually execute the work orders to keep a building maintained properly by:
- Performing regular inspection of plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems
- Fulfilling work orders and tasks assigned by facility managers
- Repairing equipment and systems in case of emergency
- Educating themselves as the industry grows and evolves
No matter if you’re a manager or a technician, as the industry develops and technology changes, it becomes more and more important to stay up-to-date with training and education. That’s why successful facilities maintenance companies invest in their employees with continued education programs, like Interplay Learning.
Secure Your Facility Maintenance Job With Interplay Learning
The facilities maintenance industry is here for the long haul and Interplay Learning can ensure that you get the multi-family maintenance training you need to have a successful career. Interplay offers courses in key topics including electricity, plumbing, and HVAC that can help you and your team tackle new developments in the industry as they arise.
Interplay Learning doesn’t limit you to in-class lectures, instead offering a variety of hands-on exercises, online courses, and interactive 3D and virtual reality simulations (VR) so you can learn in a way that works best for you. Educate yourself where you want, when you want, and how you want to become the best facilities maintenance technician possible.
