Veterans Affairs Acquisition Academy (VAAA)
Training Opportunities - Federal Construction and Facilities Managers Training
December 11, 2015
From Page 7 of the Issue 8 Winter 2015 
FAI Quarterly Newsletter
Did you know there is a law requiring Federal facilities management (FM) personnel to have the competencies necessary to manage Federal buildings? The VA Acquisition Academy’s (VAAA) Facilities Management School (FMS) can help you meet the requirements of Public Law 111-308 – The Federal Building Personnel Training Act of 2010 (FBPTA) through its professional development, training, certification, and continuous learning opportunities.
Having the skills to effectively manage and operate Federal facilities is imperative, given the size of the Federal real property portfolio. VA operates over 1,000 health care, cemetery, and benefits facilities across the nation, and, according to an April 21, 2014 General Service Administration (GSA) News Release, the GSA provides workspace for more than a million Federal workers who work in both Federally-owned and leased space, which makes up more than 9,000 properties of 377.9 million square feet of workspace.
“The VAAA FMS offers an array of relevant competency-based training delivered in multiple modalities,” said FMS Vice-Chancellor Paul Krasley. “We pride ourselves on delivering innovative learning solutions that ensure the facilities management and construction workforce has the proficiency and skill necessary to effectively construct, manage, and operate facilities. Our offerings help ensure FBPTA compliance, while developing the careers of the FM and construction workforce.”
FMS training is open to students from other government agencies and offers access to training, professional certifications, and educational resources in the areas of building operation and management, project programming, construction management, safety and occupational health, fire safety, electrical power generation, water and energy management, and sustainability, among others.
The FMS continually refines its offering in response to both Federal regulation and industry leading practices. In alignment with the March 19, 2015, Executive Order, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Generation, FMS can provide access to course offerings in a number of relevant areas: Green Construction and Building Envelope Design, Solar Energy, Thermal Power and Renewable Energy, and Building Energy Efficiencies and the Energy Independence and Security Act. In addition to the resident courses offered in Frederick, Md., FMS also offers over 1,400 online courses to help the workforce meet certification requirements and improve their skills in their chosen field, and it provides training for certification in:
- Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP)
- Facility Management Professional (FMP)
- Certified Facility Manager (CFM)
- Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET)
- MEDGAS ASSE 600 Series
To learn more about FMS training opportunities at the VA Acquisition Academy, visit www.acquisitionacademy.va.gov/schools/fm, email at vaaafms@va.gov, or call Dr. Paul Krasley at 240-215-0711. Subscribe to receive updates on training and upcoming courses.
External Links Disclaimer
This page may contain links to pages and/or documents outside the Department of Veterans Affairs Domain. These are annotated as shown below. We hope your visit was informative.
U.S. Federal/Military/State Government Sites — You will leave the Department of Veterans Affairs web site by accessing links annotated with this graphic.
External Links Disclaimer
This page may contain links to pages and/or documents outside the Department of Veterans Affairs Domain. These are annotated as shown below. We hope your visit was informative.
Non-Government Sites — You will leave the Department of Veterans Affairs web site by accessing links annotated with this graphic. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked web site.
