As part of our new faculty CME (Centre for the Modern Environment) we were delighted to host a networking evening for Facilities Managers in association with BIFM on 23rd February. The event which was sponsored by CBRE was held at their Dublin headquarters and was attended  by key players from the FM sector.  On the night Peter Jones CEO of CBRE delivered a brief speech on emerging trends in the FM sector touching on the point that FM is a growing sector with companies now implementing longer contracts of up to 5 years.

Portobello Institute were delighted to have Dominick Ward MIRI, Dip. Eng. give a guest lecture to our current Facilities Management students this week.  Dominick is the Managining Director of Crystal Air Ltd, the founder member of FGR for company registration in Ireland, and IRI/Refrigeration training centre company, and therefore the ideal guest lecture to deliver content to our students on F Gas and ODS regulations and how they impact the FM enginner. 

As part of their current programme this week our Facilities Management students were fortunate to get a guided tour around Croke Park by Ed Brennan, Facilities Manager and past BIFM student of Portobello Institute.

Are you looking to get your foot on the ladder as a Facilities Engineer.  Then the Coffey Group are offering an intership through bridgejob.ie.  If you feel the below brief is of interest then please forward your CV and a detailed covering letter to hr@coffeygroup.com

The Facilities Show takes place in Birmingham from 15th - 17th May and WIFM who host a number of events over the weekend.  The WIFM AGM will take place on the 16th May.  The AGM is a chance for the WIFM SIG members to vote in their future Chair and Deputy Chair, get advanced notice of future events and other developments, and toast the success of the past year in FM..  The WIFM group is one of the most active networking groups in the BIFM and is not restricted to women only.

Portobello Institute delivered yet another successful workshop on Fire Legislation this week.  The college was delighted to welcome back Fire safety expert Michael P. Lyons.  Michael delivered the last workshop to our Facilities Management students and received tremendous feedback.  Michael has a wealth of experience in this field to pass on to our students.  In the past Michael has worked as a Senior Fire Officer with Dublin City Council and with Wicklow County Council from 1991 to 2000, leaving as Assistant Chief Fire Officer (Preventation).  His work included Fire Safety Certificate Application assesments, Fire Safety Notices under the Fire Services Act 1981, Licensing of Premises for the Fire Authority and was a Fire Brigade Instructor in Breathing Apparatus wearing.

A date in the diary for those working in Facilities Management - Think FM is taking place on 18th June at the Royal College of Physicians in Central London.  Brought to you by BIFM, this year one third of the programme is dedicated to People Management related topics.  This is the ideal conference for those who are managing a team or managing customer expectations.  Topics range from collobaration to Social Media exposure, taking in in calculating the cost of employment and food for an inspired workplace. 

The British Institute of Facilities Management are hosting an event in Leeds which is the ideal networking event for those working within Facilities Management in the North of England.  To register online visit www.eventbrite.com/event/3195976251

Portobello Institute have been successfully running A Facilities Management Level 5 which is accredited by the British Institute of Facilities Management.  This part-time course has previously run 1 evening a week, however due to demand the college will now offer this popular programme on block release commencing in May.  The BIFM programme which is aimed at those with middle management and/or those with experience in a supervisiory role within FM aims to provide the learner with skills in risk management, an understanding of Global FM trends, financial management and strategic planning.

The FM Ireland exhibiton takes place next month and is a must for those working or looking to seek out a career within this thriving sector.  FM Ireland is the largest conference and exhibition for all those involved in creating effective, efficient safe and secure environments and organizations.

Last year Portobello Institue were the first education provider to be awarded the BIFM accreditation and since then have successfully delivered this Level 5 Facilities Management course which has set the standard for those wishing to pursue a career in Facilities Management.  The college prides itself on its expert tutors and Portobello Institute are delighted to welcome Eric Khoo onto the board of lectures on the BIFM programme who will deliver the Finance module.

Portobello Institute are delighted to welcome Neil Cleary to the ILM Level 3 Facilities Management programme.  Neil is a a Senior Operations Manager with Jones Lang LaSalle providing full Facilities Management on an EMEA client account.  He holds a BSc in Management from Sligo and an MSc in Management of Operations from DCU.  In addition he holds qualifications in certificates in Business Studies (IT Sligo), Quality Management (IT Athlone) and Managing teams (NCI).  Neil has worked in the facilities industry for past 10 years with outsourced providers.  He has worked in pharmaceutical, semi-conductor and telecoms industry providing the full range of hard and soft services.  Previous to being directly involved in FM Neil worked in Training for 9 years in both local and global roles, primarily developing and delivering technical training courses to both customers and in-house staff.

Our course directors work tirelessly building relationship with industry bodies and experts with an aim to providing the student with first hand experience in thier chosen sector.  Throughout their course students will partake in a number of key field trips and most recently our Facilities Management students were fortunate to have a guided tour around Croke Park and see in detail the vast amounts of facilities available at this premium statium. 

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) Ireland Region in Association with the BIFM Ireland Conference have officially launched a new award to recognise and organisation that has made an outstanding and valuable contribution to the FM Industry in Ireland.  Entries were welcome from all organisations which has contributed to the workplace services within the industry such as construction, catering, security, cleaning, maintenance, IT or Health & Safety.  The winner which will be announced at the 2011 BIFM Ireland Conference on 4th November will be awarded for their outstanding performance within Ireland in the last 12 months and be an Advocate of Facilities and Property Management as a service and/or profession.  Entries have come from both private, public and voluntary sectors.

The Facilities Management sector has seen a steady growth in recent years in Ireland.  With this in mind the Silver Springs Convention Centre in Cork will play host to the Energy and Facilities Management EXPO on the 27th + 28th September.  Over the two days over 60 of Irelands leading Energy, Facilities Management, Outsourcing and Heath and Safety companies will exhibit at the EFM Exp.  Visitors to the event can focus on the following areas:

If you are currently working within Facilities Management then this is a date for your diary not to be missed.  On 10th October the Grosvenor House Hotel, London will play host to the BIFM Awards 2011 where over 1200 senior figures from the FM industry will attend, 80% of whom will be director level and senior management.  This is the biggest and most influential  networking event within the FM industry celebrating FM and the role it plays in both the public and private sector.  On the day there will be various awards given from FM Excellence in a Major Project through to Facilities Manager of the Year.  The deadline for FM of the year is on 15th July so all entries must be received by Friday. 

Portobello Institute are excited to execute their first Fire Legislation workshop which is CDP approved by Engineers Ireland tomorrow, 16th September. We are fortunate to have industry expert Michael Lyons delivering this workshop.  Michael Lyons is a Chartered Engineer and a member of Engineers Ireland.  He has vast amounts of experience in this area having worked as a Fire Safety consultant and consulting engineer since 2000, and Portobello Institute are honoured to have him on-board for this specific workshop. 

Portobello Institute are excited to announce the launch of their new BIFM accredited Facilities Management course which commences on 23rd June, the same day as World FM takes place.  World FM is a Global FM initiative to celebrate the importance of the FM profession.  It aims to raise the FM profile around the globe, promoting facilities management's ideal. 

Portobello Institute are pleased to announce the launch of their new Facilities Management ILM accredited course which starts on 22nd June.  Portobello are the first education centre in Europe to be accredited by ILM so this a fantastic opportunity for the college to offer learners a Level 3 qualification with this UK body.  ILM are the largest awarding organisation for qualifications in leadership, management coaching and enterprise.  Formed in 2001 as a merger outcome from NEBS Management and the Institute of Supervisory Management, ILM have since become the leading partner in a new pan-sector authority replacing the Management Standards Centre.  Their role is to advise on standards in leadership, management and enterprise across all industry sectors.  ILM customers include household names such as Carphone Warehouse, Aviva, Thomas Cook and  Cadbury to name a few.  The ILM say " Our qualifications and services are recognised and respected by employers and training organisations worldwide".  Portobello Institute look forward to a long and fruitful working relationship with ILM.

Croke Park is the 4th largest sports stadium in Europe with a 82,300 capicity.  The role of the Operations Manager is key within an organisation of this size to ensure the daily operations and logistics are performed to the best standard.  Allan Gallagher, Operations Manager for the infamous Croke Park statium took time out of his hectic and demanding role to deliver a guest lecture to our Facilities Management students.  Allan delivered a fantastic presentation which outlined the definitive role of Operations wtihin a large ogranisation.  Over the years the stadium has housed numerous events from Sports - Heineken Cup, Irish Rugby and Soccer Internationals from 2007 to 2009, through to coporate events and Music concerts such as Robbie Williams, U2, Bon Jovi and Tina Turner to name just a few.  Allans main role is to produce products and services in an efficient and effective way.  In addition to being responsible for the day to day runnings of the stadium Allan is also involved in Project Management, PR, Budget Control, Event Planning and liaising with internal and external stake holders.  This aim is to help join the 'theory' to 'practice' dots.  Allan finised the presentation by highlighting the key traits for a Facilities Manager;

It is essential to keep up to date with current changes and movement within your chosen sector so this month the Facilities Management students attended the Facilities Management Ireland exhibition and conference at the RDS on the 9th and 10th March 2011.  The two day event played host to a wealth of industry experts who delivered guest lectures to the attendee's.  The lectures covered a number of areas across the board of FM from Health and Safetly to Project Management and Security.  The feedback from our FM students was fantastic.  Exposure to such events and industry knowledge provides an ideal platfrom from which to base their career and expand within this sector.  FM is about more than bricks and mortar.  It is about providing safe, effective, sustainable workgin environments that increase efficiency and motivate staff.  It is the second highest cost to most businesses.  With over 75 exhibitors over the weekend students were able to gather information in many of the component areas such as Energy saving, Asset management, Procurment, Technology and Legislation.

Linda Hausmanis, Head of Qualifications for the British Institute of Facilities Management delivered a guest leacture to Portobello's FM students on 23rd February.  The BIFM is one of the leading professional bodies for Facilities Mangement worldwide with their mission statement being "to advance the FM profession."  Facilities Management is the intergration of processess in an organization to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectivness of its primary activities. On a day to day level effective facilities management provides a safe and efficient working environment, which is essential to the performance of any business.