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September 16, 2025 Madison WI – SkillsUSA Leadership in IL have added the Facilithon to their contest queue for 2026. Katie Bye and Katie Friedland have been coordinating with the FM Pipeline Team, creators and administrators of the Facilithon competition and its related programs. “We’re looking forward to bringing the Facilithon, a leadership competition that lands a career, to Illinois” per Jim Zirbel, Chair at FM Pipeline Team.

The Facilithon’s first date in IL will be at the Fall Conference in Lisle October 17th, running the “Advisors Facilithon” an entertainment experience for instructors to compete like a student and get a better understanding of the Liberal Science of Buildings.  In addition to on-site events, the FM Pipeline Team runs Advisors’ Facilithon online for instructors across the country in spring and fall where attending a first-person conference isn’t a possibility.  See video  here – https://youtu.be/xHoJw66-XH4

The FM  Pipeline Team, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to engaging, enlightening & energizing our #NextGenOfFM. A partnering organization, the team invites both associations and industry supporters to connect and support the Facilithon competition, the first SkillsUSA Leadership competition expressly designed to land a high-paying career at the nexus of the trades, architecture, construction, people, services and the operations of all businesses or institutions with buildings. More info can be found at www.fmpipeline.org.

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October 20, 2025 Lexington KY – The Facilithon Competition, a SkillsUSA introductory experience for Facility Management, Held an “Advisors Facilithon” at the SkillsUSA KY Fall Conference in Hardinsburg on October 1st, which included 50 students participating as well. “I didn’t expect we’d see that crowd, but the world has long since been comfortable with Hybrid” said Jim Zirbel, FM Pipeline Team chairman and presenter at the conference.

The FM Pipeline Team then presented at the Kentucky Society of Healthcare Engineers conference in Lexington, providing members with personalized “Facilithon Landscape Reports” helping KSHE’s leadership better coordinate volunteers for Facilithon competitions in the state.

This will the first year Kentucky has had a Facilithon competition running. State director Kim Woodall also provided the team Ellen Zambrano, State reporter for the SkillsUSA KY student leadership team to be present for KSHE to answer questions and remind industry how smart and bright SkillsUSA students are.

The FM Pipeline team, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to engaging, enlightening & energizing our #NextGenOfFM, through the SkillsUSA Facilithon competition and its related programs. A partnering organization, FM Pipeline welcome associations and industry partners who understand the challenge the skills gap in FM by contacting admin@fmpipeline.org

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The FM Pipeline Team, in an effort to include academic FM practitioners, will be presenting at the TAPPA 2025 conference in Galveston TX, April 15th 2025. The presentation will be delivered by Magda Alanis-Brady, assistant VP of Facilities operations at University of Houston and Jim Zirbel, Chairman at FM Pipeline Team, Inc. , dedicated to engaging, enlightening and energizing our #NextGenOfFM.

Their presentation will focus on the new opportunity in SkillsUSA’s Texas high school division, where the Facilithon is expected to be offered to a population of 22,000 students in CTE-related programs to compete in district and state events . “Consider the numbers,” said Jim ZIrbel, Chairman, “when you’re talking 22,000 students in one state and 1 in 4 is a great potential candidate, its pretty hard to disagree with.  I’d like to fly out just to see it happen, its a natural mosaic of SkillsUSA and solves for many CTSO’s leadership-type competitions by rendering direct career outcomes.”

The FM pipeline team, Inc. 501c3 is the creator of the SkillsUSA Facilithon competition along with 1 in 30, Facilitopics and Wellhead programs. The organization exists to engage, enlighten & energize our #NextGenOfFM. More information about the Facilithon and other FM Pipeline programs can be found at www.fmpipeline.org

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Jim Zirbel, FM Pipeline Team’s Chairman shared “ConnexFM’s partnership with the FM Pipeline is natural”, saying “they’re innovating new models of FM association, its only natural to partner with other innovators to change the game- it takes all of us.”  Kudos to Suzanne, who came in to assist with ConnexFM and successfully ran an online Facilithon for another favored state as well.”

The FM pipeline team, Inc. 501c3 is the creator of the SkillsUSA Facilithon competition along with Facilitopics and Wellhead programs. The organization exists to engage, enlighten & Energize our #NextGenOfFM. More information an be found at www.fmpipeline.org

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March 13th -14th we’re sharing the Facilithon message at our Inaugural Maine competition

April 8th-9th Facilithon Vermont- CTSU – Randolph

May 1st-3rd Facilithon Massachusetts – Royal Plaza Hotel – Marlborough

Join us on these adventures in your state – https://www.fmpipeline.org/2025-state-conferences

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The 2025 SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership & Skills Conference Feb 20-22nd this year was a remarkable event, showcasing the talents and expertise of students across various technical and leadership fields. Among the key contributors to this success was the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Atlanta chapter, whose members actively promoted the Facilithon competition and participated as judges in multiple events.

Introducing Students to Facility Management

IFMA Atlanta collaborated with the FM Pipeline team and SkillsUSA to organize the Facilithon—Leadership in Facility Management Competition in Georgia. This initiative aimed to introduce high school and technical school students to the facility management profession, a growing field with increasing demand for skilled professionals. The competition included a multiple-choice quiz, a 25-minute role-p

lay scenario, and a 10-minute emergency challenge, assessing students’ problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The inaugural Facilithon at the Georgia SkillsUSA Conference took place from February 20-22, 2025 marking a significant milestone in engaging the next generation of facility managers.

Industry Speaker Series and Panel Discussions

IFMA Atlanta members also participated in the Industry Speaker Series panel discussions, where they introduced facility management as a career path to students. During these discussions, they shared their individual motivations, experiences gained over the years of practicing, and insights into the industry’s evolving landscape. The sessions provided a unique opportunity for students to ask questions about Facility Management and gain a deeper understanding of the profession. By engaging directly with industry experts, students were able to explore potential career opportunities and learn about the impact of facility management on various industries.

Expert Judging and Mentorship

In addition to promoting the Facilithon, IFMA Atlanta members took on roles as judges in various competitions throughout the conference. Their expertise and industry knowledge provided valuable insights and mentorship to students, elevating the overall quality of the competition. By sharing real-world experiences, these professionals helped bridge the gap between education and industry practice, ensuring that students gained practical knowledge relevant to their future careers.

A Commitment to Workforce Development

IFMA Atlanta remains committed to fostering the next generation of facility management professionals. Their active involvement in the SkillsUSA conference highlights their dedication to workforce development and industry growth. By volunteering their time and expertise, IFMA members are helping shape a well-

prepared workforce capable of meeting future industry demands.

For more information on IFMA Atlanta’s initiatives and upcoming events, visit their official website at ifmaatlanta.org.

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ASHE staff are focusing on rolling out the Facilithon program’s opportunity to their respective regions around the United States and helping to develop the Wellhead(c) program, the gateway for students and employers to have direct relationships through FM Pipeline’s secure web portal. Zirbel noted “The Wellhead is a critical faucet of talent at the end of the FM pipeline, engaging, enlightening and energizing our next gen of FM. Each year we’ve solved for key roadblocks to populating the increasingly large Facility Management need. Without a direct relationship at high school graduation, employers are betting on ancient systems to deliver talent in a world that has dramatically changed in the last 5 years, leaving those models marginally usable. That transition is a fog bank from which without a relationship, the talent is more likely than not to disappear, never to return. Given we already know the student, its imperative that relationship remains through any training, whether post-secondary, apprenticeship or other.”

Leaders from FM Pipeline Team will be attending the Health Care Innovation Conference in Anaheim this July, to update regional and state chapter leaders on the Facilithon’s landscape and processes, continuing to strengthen the organizations’ collaboration.

FM Pipeline Team is a non profit corporation dedicated to engaging, enlightening and energizing our #NextGenOfFM, with a vision of a sustained pipeline of facility management talent. Communications can be sent to director@fmpipeline.org.

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The Facilithon is a national-level SkillsUSA competition, supported by volunteers interested in furthering FM talent, currently in increasingly short supply. FM Pipeline Team’s national director, Carolyn McGary shared, “Our true success comes from our volunteers. Their hard work and passion are the fuel that keeps this pipeline flowing and we couldn’t do it without them”.

Among association liaisons, the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), has lent its horsepower to the programs’ effort as a formal next-gen collaborator in 2024 toward furtherance of the Facilithon and specifically the Wellhead(c) program, which serves as a direct link between their graduating young adults and prospective employers.

FM Professionals and their suppliers are encouraged to participate in regional SkillsUSA events in their state prior to attending their larger state conferences.  Chairman Jim Zirbel quoted, “Go to a regional SkillsUSA event and offer to help judge. They’ll be happy you did and you’ll come away inspired and smiling. Of the 445,000 in SkillsUSA, as many as 1 in 4 are excellent candidates for FM. SkillsUSA is such a tremendous organization to be part of and we’re sharing this video for facilities-oriented folks to join us at these events.”  https://youtu.be/mJGz1KHU6mw

The FM Pipeline Team, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to engaging, enlightening and energizing our #NextGenOfFM.

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Among the comments at the event, it caused one student to send a note of appreciation,  “Thank you for inviting me to participate in last week’s Facilithon during the trade expo. Although I wasn’t quite sure what the experience would be, I really enjoyed the role play scenario with Ms. Waybright and Ms. Haerther. It got me thinking more about what a facilities management career path entails and the possibilities that are available. Thanks again for your time and please send a greeting to Ms. Clara. I am also accessible via LinkedIn if you’d care to connect there as well. Enjoy the rest of your week.”

The Facilithon program’s mission is to Engage, enlighten and Energize our #NextGenOfFM, creating an entirely new class of facility managers to make wise descisions about our existing built environment. SkillsUSA is the fastest-groeing high school and post-secondary Career Technical Student Organization, popularized by Mike Rowe of Discovery Networks.  SkillsUSA delivers young talent through an ethos of being the best workers and success in trades, technical and leadership roles. To explore the Facilithon program through volunteering, click HERE.

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