Facilities Management case study

Rachel Nyquist, 48, General Services Manager, Eurest Services

Eurest Services provides facilities management (FM) services to an international utilities company for which Rachel is the General Services Manager. She is responsible for six sites in the South East including their London offices.

Rachel oversees management of services such as the catering and hospitality; cleaning; porterage; reception; switchboard; security; office supplies and support; post and deliveries; and pest control.

Rachel moved into FM a year ago after working for Eurest Services for 28 years in a catering role. She enrolled onto the FM Advanced Apprenticeship as part of her professional development.

"The Apprenticeship has been an excellent learning experience. It was fast-paced and thorough and I was able to complete it in a short space of time. It covered all aspects of FM including the effective delivery of services, leadership and management, budgets and health and safety."

A training provider delivered the course through sessions in the workplace once a month. The rest was carried out electronically through email assignments and projects.

"I'm now more confident in my job, especially in managing people. The course consolidated the on-the-job experience and know-how I'd already gained in my year working as a facilities manager. Much of the learning came from drawing on the experiences of other colleagues on the course.

"My employer now has a highly qualified and valued team of people who are a real asset as the FM side of the business continues to expand."