Culver City Observer -

A $0 Tuition program for incoming freshmen regardless of household income, career programs preparing students to make $60,000 or more annually on average, and degree programs tailored for working adults will be among the information sessions held at the free Open House at West Los Angeles College (West) on Saturday, May 18 from 9:30am to 1:00pm. For the activity schedule and to RSVP, visit http://www.WLAC.edu/Open-House .

The community college in Culver City will also launch its new Facilities Management Certificate Program. The program is designed to help newcomers to the field understand the language and basic concepts of facility management (FM) as well as the facility manager's role in tactical planning, scheduling and accomplishment of daily FM tasks. In addition to getting information on the certificate program, Open House attendees can hear from industry experts about the field, paid internships and FM career opportunities.

By 2032, 50 percent of the existing facility management workforce will have retired, explained Diane Levine, Executive Director with the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) Foundation. "There is a tremendous need for skilled facilities managers." She continued, "In 2016 there were 3,200 facilities manager job openings in Southern California with as few as 30 individuals who had completed formal training for the available positions."

West, IFMA, the IFMA Foundation and California Community Colleges DOING WHAT MATTERS, have come together to launch this Facilities Management Certificate program in Los Angeles in Fall 2019. The goal is to engage students and employers to address the shortfall of qualified facility managers in the state. The curriculum for this two-course, industry-recognized certificate is overseen by an advisory board of industry and education leaders. Included in the college's certificate program is IFMA's industry-certified Essentials of Facilities Management (EoFM) online modules and certificate program. IFMA's curriculum ensures that certificate earners understand the language and basic concepts of facility Mmnagement (FM) as well as the facility manager's role in the tactical planning, scheduling and accomplishment of daily FM tasks.

Facility management is an interdisciplinary business function that coordinates space, infrastructure, people and organization. It is often associated with the administration of office properties, arenas, schools, universities, sporting complexes, convention centers, shopping complexes, hospitals, hotels, manufacturing and shipping.

For more information on the FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM: Contact the program at: 310-848-7400 / rodrigaa3@laccd.edu

West Los Angeles College is located at 9000 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230. The college is a ACCJC-accredited community college providing full-time, part-time and online paths to university transfer and career preparation.