So what is Facilities Management and why it is so important?

The first module introduces the students to the world of facilities management – what it is, how it helps them in their day-to-day lives and how they can pursue a career in STEM.

The session kicks off with ice-breaker activities, designed to get the students thinking about their goals and inviting them to share what they would like to be when they reach adulthood. At the end of their final J.E.E.P module, the students will repeat this activity to see if any of their career goals have changed.

As they progress through the session, the students are introduced to the first responsibilities of facilities management: electricity and lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), public health and plumbing, and sustainable development. Practical experiments assist to teach the theories behind these topics, giving the students a real hands-on approach to learning.

Finally, the J.E.E.P project is revealed and by the end of the course, the students must invent something which can be installed in their school to make it more sustainable.

The second module shows how electricity, magnets and motors are connected through a series of experiments in small groups.

The first experiment looks at homopolar motors and teaches the students how to make a simple electric motor with coiled wire and a battery. The second is called the “Maglev Train” which demonstrates how magnetic levitation uses magnetic repulsion to make the “train” (a small battery with magnets on either end) move through a coil of wire.

In a class demonstration, the students learn about simple circuits and fuses.

At the end of the session, the J.E.E.P projects are worked on, by creating detailed sketches of the students’ inventions and noting how they will be modelled in future. Where possible, the students will incorporate the lessons they have learned in modules one and two into their designs.

In the third module, the students explore ideas of sustainability in business. They are challenged to think of how facilities managers can achieve suitability goals by reducing energy use, waste and water use and by using sustainable products. As the session’s practical activity, the students must use and compare cleaning products and decide which is better for positive sustainability practices.

In the second half of the module, the students are joined by ABM team members to discuss in mock-interview style, what working in a facilities management company is really like. From the information gathered, the students must create posters about their ideal job in FM career and must use their presenting skills to persuade their classmates to join their group.

This module seeks to educate students on the importance of sustainability, focusing on how facilities managers can reduce waste, energy use and water consumption, alongside how more sustainable products can be introduced. Challenges around recycling are also explored, with a clear link back to the importance of these topics in facilities management and engineering.

Activities such as quizzes, testing the dilution of cleaning products and using surprising solutions – such as vinegar – to clean surfaces and stains were just some of the ways the pilot students were engaged on the subject of sustainability.

Students also participated in an experiment which involved modelling a heat exchanger to show how thermal energy moves from a hot area to a cold area through conduction, demonstrating how heat waste can be reused to heat up something that is cold.

The aim of this module is to give students the opportunity to see facilities management in action.

The students on the pilot scheme were taken behind the scenes at one of the world’s busiest airports – Heathrow. As part of the visit they went through security and explored areas that only employees usually see. They were also taken airside on a bus tour and ABM UK staff talked them through the different roles which contribute to the airport’s facilities management.

This module is designed to give students access to the real people working in facilities management today, ask questions about specific roles, participate in brainstorms and understand the breadth of opportunity available in the industry.

Pilot pupils were introduced to three ABM UK employees who they interviewed in small groups.

The students then created posters, based on the information they gathered, and presented them to their classmates before debating why they thought their interviewee had the best job.

This module tackles the subject of safety and identifying hazards and risk assessments in the workplace. It ensures that students leave with an understanding of how important safety is, and the crucial role that facilities management plays in making sure that laws, regulations and health and safety standards are adhered to, to keep people safe.

On the pilot scheme, students were given four practical activities to experience first-hand some of the problems that facilities managers face. One experiment demonstrated why a toilet might not flush properly and what causes the malfunction. Another was the possibility of an unwanted visit from rats. The children learned that this may happen because of the presence of food waste in the area and were encouraged to use their problem solving skills to find a solution.

This module teaches how electricity works and builds on the Motors and Magnets module. It uses both theory and practice to demonstrate the critical role knowledge in this area plays in facilities management.

The pilot session began with interactive quizzes which tested levels of knowledge and identified the different units used in facilities that need electricity to function.

The children also learnt that as a facilities manager, it is critical to have an understanding of electricity to be able to identify the sources of electrical problems correctly. They participated in a demonstration to show the role of the fuse in electrical circuits – highlighting electrical safety – alongside some basics; wires and their different colours, the physics behind electric current, the environmental impact of using electricity and the importance of safety.

The group also built their own electrical devices so that they could understand how electricity flows to light light bulbs.

Interactive visit to the London Transport Museum Depot

This module seeks to give students the opportunity to meet real life engineers and ask questions about a career in engineering, in a stimulating and relevant environment, while getting some hands-on experience.

On the pilot programme, children visited the London Transport Museum Depot, took a ‘behind the scenes’ tour and interviewed two engineers about what it’s like to work in the field.

The students also got the opportunity to carry out an exciting “Eggsperiment” where they split into teams and designed, built and tested a train track to transport an egg from one side of the track to the other. This showcased the basics behind the mechanical engineering of trains and how they work.

This module focuses on giving students the skills to present their final presentations and practice public speaking.

Starting with a brainstorming exercise, students on the pilot programme explored what makes a good and engaging presentation and were asked to think about  the dos and don’ts of public speaking.

They explored the importance of expressing yourself properly and speaking enthusiastically to an audience, and were encouraged to focus on what they wanted to achieve from their presentation, before presenting to the group.