Sustainability school launches for FMs

Officially launched on 28th January, the FM school is aimed at FMs, services suppliers, contractors and clients and will promote collaboration to develop sustainability competence in the supply chain.

Previously working in the construction sector, the Supply Chain Sustainability School has now secured £285,000 of industry co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to expand its support into FM. Major stakeholder partners for the FM School include Carillion, BAM, Cofely UK, EMCOR, Interserve, Kier, Skanska and Vinci, Grosvenor, Covance, BIFM, BRE and Sodexo.

The school will offer targeted learning and support addressing sustainability issues, including materials, carbon, environmental management, waste, water, biodiversity, ethics, community, and procurement. It will provide e-learning modules, opportunities for involvement at supplier development days and sustainability workshops, and access and input to other groups and initiatives within the wider Supply Chain Sustainability School. It will also help to identify sources of funding to support the development of sustainability skills and share best sustainability practice.

David Picton, Carillion’s chief sustainability officer and chair of the school’s new FM Leadership Group, said: "Delivering consistently well on environmental, social and economic responsibilities has become key to balanced, long-term growth and responsible business. Challenges are particularly intense in the complex and pressurised context of the FM and services supply chain, so the school’s free resources and dynamic knowledge development will be ‘business-critical’ in supporting suppliers to meet exacting requirements of clients, users, wider stakeholders and the communities they serve.”

The partnership is open to clients, FM contractors, managing agents and leading FM suppliers.