What do your kids want to be when they grow up? Chances are they won’t say, “I want to be a facility manager.” But they could do a lot worse. Odds are they don’t have a 90 mph fastball, can’t throw it down, and don’t drive the ball 300 yards. And, really, who can afford to become a doctor anymore, and who could possibly think we need another lawyer in this world?

For you and your college-bound progeny, the IFMA Foundation has published its first “North American Facility Management Degree Program Guide,” a listing of all known facility management programs in North America.

Its purpose is to help educational institutions develop standards for facility management curricula and the details of the course of study. It also serves as a reference for students, educators and professionals interested in facility management higher education degree programs.

Facility management is growing in importance in the public and private sectors especially with the need to make the built environment more sustainable. Therefore, there is a need to develop academic courses of study that can portray appropriately all levels of professionals in the field.

Publication of the guide comes at a time when facility managers are projected to have high salary growth in coming years. Currently earning an average of $94,491 — more than a 4.3 percent increase over last year’s $89,262 — facility managers are described as those who “oversee all things concerned with the operation, repair, maintenance and construction of facilities, equipment, buildings and grounds.”

“This career choice prepares students for jobs managing the built environment with consequent opportunities to have a significant impact on sustainability in buildings, which are major consumers of energy,” said IFMA Foundation Director of Academic Affairs Charles Claar, CFM, CFMJ, PE. “With facility managers now enjoying one of America’s top 20 fastest growing salaries, it demonstrates to prospective students that this career is not only challenging, but also financially rewarding.”

The profession of facility management is continually growing in importance in the United States and Canada, and across the world. In order to further its advancement, and fully establish it as a profession, IFMA has found a need for the collection and dissemination of information on education programs, degrees, and universities. This guide introduces the field of facility management in areas where it is not widely known, by providing a resource of institutions, programs, and participants.

There’s a need for it, too. Only 21 institutions in the U.S. and Canada offer facility management degree programs. Do you know who and where they are? Twenty are in the United States and one is in Canada. Perhaps as demand for such programs increases, more institutions will develop FM degree programs. If not, the kids better keep working on their game.

For a free copy of the “North American Facility Management Degree Program Guide,” visit www.ifmafoundation.org.