Watch our conversation with Karl Beaufort to hear an employer’s perspective on backing FM talent and why investing in people matters.
The future of facilities management will be shaped by the people we choose to invest in today.
For Karl Beaufort, Head of Facility Services at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, developing that next generation is not simply about filling roles. It is about recognising potential, creating opportunities for people to grow and building the capability the profession will need for what comes next.
It is something Karl has seen first-hand through team member Vale and her journey with the FMANZ Foundation scholarship programme.
Supporting Vale to continue her study has meant balancing learning alongside the demands of the job, but Karl sees the value extending well beyond the qualification itself. As people build their knowledge and confidence, they bring that development back into their teams, their organisations and the wider profession.
And in a field as broad and rapidly evolving as facilities management, that matters.
Karl points to the increasing complexity of the FM role and the breadth of skills future professionals will need. Technical knowledge remains important, but so too are curiosity, adaptability, communication and the ability to see how different parts of an organisation connect.
It is why he believes employers have an important part to play in actively backing people who want to develop.
“You’ve got to invest in your people,” is a message that sits at the heart of his conversation.
For the FMANZ Foundation, Vale’s experience is one example of what that investment can make possible. A scholarship provides financial support towards study, but its impact can reach much further. It gives emerging and existing FM professionals another opportunity to build their capability and take the next step in their careers.
And when that opportunity is reinforced by an employer willing to give someone the time, encouragement and space to grow, the benefits ripple out.
Because building FM capability is not only an investment in one person. It is an investment in stronger teams, stronger organisations and a stronger future for facilities management in Aotearoa.
Karl’s experience shows the difference a Foundation scholarship can make. There are many more future facilities management leaders waiting for the same opportunity. If you’d like to help open that next door, please consider making a donation to the FMANZ Foundation. Donate here.
