Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State Univ (formerly Southern Poly) and the Atlanta Chapter President are all working to develop a resource for Internships within the chapter. We hope to launch a new web page on the IFMAAtlanta.org site soon that will serve as a resource to members in developing and launching facility management internships for the GT and KSU students.
The purpose of the new Internship program is to ensure a strong pipeline of future FMs, IFMA Atlanta strives to connect Facility Management graduate and undergraduate students with internship opportunities in the field. This real-world experience will help those students be more competitive in the job market, and make them more likely to find FM-related work after graduation, and to stay in the profession long-term. Internships also benefit employers by providing innovative new workers to help with less than high priority projects, potential candidates for future openings, and linking FM knowledge to sustain our profession. Internships are a win-win for FM employers and students alike and IFMA Atlanta wants to help make these connections easier.
Testimonials from employers and students are being collected to provide examples of why and how this project benefits employers and students alike. Here is a short excerpt from a recent Emory University Midtown Hospital.
Sarah Peek, Assistant Director, Facilities Management
Emory University Midtown Hospital
“Having data [collected by the intern] to make critical decision for FY16 capital planning was great. We not only had the need for improvements, but now the justification for assessing our aging infrastructure and enlisting in new technology that will enable the hospital to operate more efficiently.”
Nancy Zhou, Masters student
Georgia Institute of Technology
“By conducting my internship report, I learned how to develop a concise but professional presentation and how to be confident to the public. My supervisor and manager in our department helped me a lot with many kinds of things so that I grew up so fast from an inexperienced person to a person who can think thoroughly while working.”
Look for the Internship page on the IFMA Atlanta website soon and let us know if you have ideas or contributions. [email protected]; [email protected] or [email protected].
