Ross Fagan – Facilities Management Kick-Started My Career

Facilities Management was something that Ross Fagan became aware of when he was working in St. James Hospital.

Undergoing a transition from the medical side of the business to the corporate side, Ross began to work very closely with the entire facilities management team at the hospital. He engaged with security, catering, cleaning and the engineering department on a daily basis.

It was at that point that Ross wanted to upskill and improve his facilities management expertise through education. That led him to two of Portobello’s facilities management qualifications: IWFM Level 3 and IWFM Level 5. To find out more about upcoming start dates visit the FM department page here.

“My background and knowledge of facilities management before commencing the Level 3 course was limited. Completing multiple relevant modules was a massive help for me in increasing my knowledge and experience in my current role, applying what I learned into my day-to-day role,” he said.

Ross loves working in a facilities management capacity. He is faced with daily challenges and hurdles that he now understands how to handle. He knows he needs to be ready and fully engaged to deal with all tasks, which is what keeps him motivated and eager to learn more in what can be a complex profession.

It was his manager who recommended to him that he get an education in facilities management. Ross had always been interested in doing so but that push from his manager got him to show the initiative to apply.

“I was always interested in business and finance but also wanted to know the ins and outs of how a company ran its day to day organisation from an operational perspective whilst having a keen interest in how it was managed from a financial point of view,” he said.

Portobello Institute is the only college in Ireland with Level 8 and Level 9 degrees in facilities management. Ross studied the IWFM qualifications before the degrees, and he found the quality of education to be just as impressive.

“The course was very well run and the support from the tutors was second to none. I must compliment several tutors as they were outstanding in helping with any questions or issues and from my time in Portobello hearing other people’s opinions everyone felt the same – Gerry Kelly, Tony O’Gorman, John Cunniffe and Mairead Roche.”

The impeccable support that Ross described was particularly valuable when it came to response times on emails and knowing that there would always be someone there to help should he require assistance.

“I most definitely feel confident putting the theory and skills learned into practice in my own organisation and role and have definitely done so in the past and will continue to do so for the rest of my time working in Facilities Management,” he said.

Modules highlights for Ross include Procurement & Specification and Health & Safety which he felt to be broken down very well and explained exceptionally.

Portobello Institute takes great care in devising its courses so that our modules are not only broad-ranging but that they also offer each student easy access to the information that they require. Ross learned everything he needed to learn while doing so in a manner that suited his needs.

Considering the IWFM Level 3 course is designed as an introductory course for those who are interested in a career in facilities management but know nothing about facilities management to start, the comfort that Ross found going through that course is vital.

Having that comfort allowed him to progress through his Level 3 qualification smoothly, setting him up to then take on the more advanced Level 5 course.

Since he could successfully upskill without any delays, Ross was able to quickly become qualified for more roles and put himself first in line to be promoted within his company and first in line to be hired for job openings elsewhere.

Ross specifically recommends the Level 3 course for those looking for an introduction to the business and the Level 5 course for those looking to expand their strategic knowledge of facilities management.

If you are interested in progressing your career in facilities management, visit our department page here for more information on upcoming courses.

If you have a question about any facilities management qualifications please reach our to our expert admissions advisor Brandon McLean who can give you the best options for your career progression.

Email [email protected], call 01 892 0035 or book a one-to-one consulttion call at a time that suits you here.