Purpose of the Higher Certificate in Facilities Management
The purpose of this qualification is to prepare students to perform the functions required from a Facilities Manager. A Facilities Manager organises, controls, coordinates and leads the strategic and operational management of facilities (fixed and movable assets) in a public or private organisation. Facilities Management is the practice of aligning the physical space with the people and work of that space. It integrates the principles of business administration, architecture and the behavioural and engineering sciences. Within the South African contexts, the purpose of this higher certificate is specifically focused to fill the existing gap in terms of the need for properly trained Facility Managers.
This qualification is aimed at contributing to aligning the South African Facilities Management industry to the International Facilities Management Association’s standards and competencies. This will enable qualified students to be on par with over 24 000 practitioners in 104 countries. As such this qualification embodies the commitment of the South African Facilities Management Association to align with Global Facilities Management’s initiatives in setting standards and best practices. The newly developed ISO Standard for Facilities Management and its South African SABS interpretation forms the basis of this qualification.
Creating buildings and managing them as fixed assets have been in existence for millennia. There is no possibility that the creation of residential, commercial, industrial and utility buildings as well as the management of these assets will cease to exist. The nature of process and product will develop, but as is well known, educated people will adapt to and engender development. For this the qualification will help to lay foundations that will stand the test of time in the career paths of students.
Both the public and private sectors are challenged by the management task related to their large investments in the Built Environment. This international imperative has made Facilities Management one of the fastest growing international careers in the Built Environment. South Africa has been lagging behind in this domain, with many of the major service providers of facilities management being of foreign origin. It is of major importance that the local (and international) capacity to manage fixed and movable assets, and supporting services, be enhanced by the availability of suitable education and training opportunities in facilities management. This Higher Certificate is specifically aligned and designed to bridge the current gap in the market.
The outcome of this qualification is to provide properly qualified people to the Built Environment industry, who can follow a career path from entry-level, middle management to senior positions in Facilities Management.