Facilities management apprentice meets Deputy PM

March 2011

A young facilities management apprentice has enjoyed a high level meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Rishi Joshi, who is 23, met Mr Clegg and Energy Secretary Chris Huhne during a visit to south London where they were promoting a new scheme to ensure 1,000 new 'green' apprenticeships as part of the government's Green Deal policy.

Rishi works for John Laing Integrated Services and is being trained in the management of public facilities and buildings in west London.

The government hopes the Green Deal will create a new market-led system to lever in billions of pounds of new investment to improve the energy performance of buildings from 2012. It has the potential to create up to 100,000 green industry jobs by 2015.

"It was really interesting meeting the Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Secretary," said Rishi (pictured second from right). "They asked what skills I was learning as part of my Facilities Management Apprenticeship and I explained the areas my training covers and how important FM is to the environment."

Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for facilities management, is collaborating with employers to put in place the new apprenticeship opportunities and provide skills training for existing employees.

Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills, said: "This is welcome news for FM, which has a big role to play in cutting carbon emissions from buildings. New training in green technologies and practices are essential components of this. The facilities management apprenticeship and other new vocational qualifications in FM will provide a workforce that's ready to take on these challenges and succeed."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "The Green Deal is about the future - and it is important we ensure that future generations have the skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities of the green economy. These apprenticeships are a perfect example of how Government and business can work together towards a low carbon future."

It is envisaged the new Green Deal apprentices will become experts in energy efficiency measures in business premises and in homes.

For more on the Facilities Management Apprenticeship contact Asset Skills at info@assetskills.org, call 0845 678 2 888 or visit www.assetskills.org