By Dana Peterson, New Hampshire State Director & Joe Stone, Maine State Director
Free!!! Did that get your attention? Most of us have lots of money to work with to obtain facilities focused high quality training for our staffs, but if you are among the few who don’t, consider this.
You know your time and that of your staff is valuable, or at least you should. Money has always been tight. You can always use a little more help. With all of these pressures it may seem contradictory to spend money and to take some valuable time away from your job to learn a little more. However, smart facility managers know that in the end, training doesn’t cost, it pays. Now your chapter has a way for you to cut the cost to as little as zero and reap the rewards right away.
Career Development; What are the benefits? Dr. Steven Covey, the renowned author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" refers to this as "Sharpening the Sword". A lumberjack can cut wood for a long time, but if he does not stop to sharpen the saw once in a while, his productivity goes way down. Besides being a little more "edumicated", have you ever walked away from a training, conference, or presentation more motivated, inspired, validated and/or excited about what you do? People are one of the most valuable resources we have. You may not be able to get funding to add staff, but what about "making the most of what you’ve got". Sending your staff to a training or conference, can tell them you value them. It can motivate them. It can improve your relationship with them. The information can make them more efficient. The networking relationships can provide them with more resources to get solutions and the job done quicker and better. Most of these benefits apply to you too. Place a dollar figure on that.
Now the "free" part. What if you were able to have some or all of the expense aspect of this training covered. The Northern New England Chapter has experienced much success over the years. This success speaks to the value of a conference. Its success has also allowed our chapter (and others) to offer scholarships. There are the prequalified APPA programs and you can get as much as $2,000 in reimbursement for. These scholarships don’t just cover the cost of tuition and books; they also cover the cost of travel and lodging up to the maximum amount allotted. This puts almost any of APPA’s high quality programs that are offered on a regular basis at various locations around the country within reach. You’re not restricted to just those "traveling show" programs that are offered within driving distance of your school. Both the Chapter and the regional organization (ERAPPA) offer scholarship opportunities, so you can have two chances at a scholarship for just the effort of filling out the paperwork. For as little as ten minutes of your time on line, you could have or provide the benefits mentioned without expense to your institution or operating budget. Beginning this year, your Chapter Board has increased the number of scholarships available from four to six per state per year (half in the spring, half in the fall), raised the value of all scholarships to a maximum of $2,000 each, and made them applicable to reimburse the full costs of tuition, travel, and lodging up to the maximum amount. Four of the six scholarships per State are reserved for the APPA Facilities Management Institute, with the remaining two reserved for other APPA programs such as the Leadership Academy and the Supervisor’s Toolkit.
There generally aren’t numerous applications received for these scholarships (in fact in some years scholarships go unused) so the chances of being rewarded for your efforts is high. The Eastern Region also offers scholarships (by a separate application process) that gives you two chances at stretching your training budget. Why wouldn’t you take the time to encourage those on your staff to apply, or apply yourself? Below are some course descriptions for approved programs and helpful links.
Institute for Facilities Management – http://www.appa.org/training/Institute/index.cfm Intensive training over 4 separate one week periods in four critical competency areas; General Administration and Management, Maintenance and Operations, Energy and Utilities, and Planning, Design, and Construction.
Upcoming Sessions:
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1/9/11 to 1/13/11, Orlando, FL
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9/11/11 to 9/15/11, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
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January 2012 TBD
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9/23/12 to 9/27/12, Vancouver, BC
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1/13/13 to 1/17/13, Tampa, FL
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9/8/13 to 9/12/13, Ft. Lauderdale FL
The Leadership Academy – http://www.appa.org/training/Academy/index.cfm This two-day intensive program has been developed for, and focuses on, the educational institution’s administrative professionals. It provides opportunities for professionals to increase their awareness of industry issues, learn the necessary skills to handle today’s challenges, and discover their leadership potential.
Upcoming Sessions:
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1/14/11 to 1/15/11, Orlando, FL (tracks 2 & 4 only)
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4/3/11 to 4/7/11, Asheville, NC
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9/11/11 to 9/15/11, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
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January 2012 TBD
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9/23/12 to 9/27/12, Vancouver, BC
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1/13/13 to 1/17/13, Tampa, FL
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9/8/13 to 9/12/13, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Supervisor’s Toolkit – http://www.appa.org/training/Toolkit/index.cfm A three to four day program (customized per venue), the Supervisor’s Toolkit provides the "Nuts and Bolts of Facilities Supervision". Ideal for training of rank-and-file employees who are candidates for, or seeking promotion within the organization.
Upcoming Sessions:
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10/1/10 to 10/5/10, Pittsburgh, PA
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10/10/10 to 10/13/10, Charlotte, NC
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10/16/10 to 10/20/10, Cour D’Alene, ID
EFP Prep Course – http://certification.appa.org/efp_home.cfm APPA offers a comprehensive preparatory course for facilities managers looking to sit for the Educational Facilities Professional certification exam based on APPA’s body of knowledge and core curriculums.
Upcoming Sessions:
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1/14/11, Orlando, FL
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4/8/11, Asheville, NC
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7/19/11, Atlanta, GA
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9/16/11, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
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January 2012, TBD
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9/28/12, Vancouver, BC
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1/18/13, Tampa, FL
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9/13/13, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Webinars – http://www.appa.org/professionaldevelopment/webinars.cfm
APPA Annual Meeting – http://www.appa.org/training/index.cfm Join with your fellow colleagues and business partners to learn more about best practices in areas of current interest, network with peers, and collaborate on issues of mutual concern.
Upcoming sessions:
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July 2011, Atlanta, GA
How to get started? Go to the NNECERAPPA or ERAPPA scholarship websites and fill out an online application form and submit it at least 70 days prior to the event. It’s a two part form to filled out by both the applicant and the applicant’s supervisor. All complete applications (both parts submitted) are reviewed and award recipients notified at least 60 days prior to the event to permit adequate time for notification to applicants for planning purposes. The websites are located at:
Northern New England Chapter http://www.erappa.org/nne/
Eastern Region http://www.erappa.org/content/blogcategory/90/349/
Questions? Contact :
Dana Peterson, NH State Director dana.peterson@unh.edu
Bizahn Yahyazadeh, VT State Director bizhan@norwich.edu
Joseph Stone, ME State Director jstone@msad35.net