Educational Opportunities Abound – How Will You Take Your Career to the Next Level?

By Jaclynne Madden, BOMA/Chicago Marketing & Education Program Manager

Labor Day has come and gone. The September chill is in the air. Businesses are flooding the airwaves to tout backpack sales and notebook bargains.

All of the signs are here – fall has arrived and back-to-school season has kicked into fifth gear.

Given that educational offerings are one of the core BOMA/Chicago member benefits, it’s important to remember that back-to-school season is not just for the kids. Investing in education is a lifelong endeavor. Whether you are one of BOMA/Chicago’s emerging leaders or an experienced CRE professional, we have a multitude of 2014 and 2015 educational opportunities planned for you.

BOMA/Chicago educational programs are designed to incorporate adult-learning methodology and are organized in ways that increase skillsets with minimum disruption to your busy schedules. Classroom settings are fun, timely and unintimidating so that you can naturally hone your CRE knowledge while building relationships with instructors and fellow students. And what’s even better is that when you leave the BOMA/Chicago classroom, you will walk away with information and expertise that can be immediately applied to your job.

Below are the educational offerings that we have in store for you.

RPA/FMA Classes
Real Property Administrator (RPA) and Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) BOMI International designation programs are recognized on national and international levels as marks of distinction and excellence throughout the property and facility management industries. The successful completion of a designation program allows you to gain a deep understanding of how to increase the value of properties and/or operate facilities at peak efficiency.

BOMA/Chicago will be offering the following six RPA/FMA classes (five of which are required) through 2015:

• Asset Management (Elective): October-November 2014
• Real Estate and Finance (Required): January-February 2015
• The Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Building Systems, Part II (Required): March-April 2015
• Ethics is Good Business (Required): May 2015
• Environmental Health and Safety Issues (Required): July-August 2015
• Budgeting & Accounting (Required): September-October 2015

Learn more and view the schedule by clicking here.

High-Performance Classes
Additionally, two of the three High-Performance (HP) classes will be offered locally in 2015. These courses are part of BOMI’s High Performance Program that launched in June 2014 and they will give you the opportunity to earn an enhanced designation (RPA|HP or FMA|HP). Here are the two HP courses we will offer:

• High-Performance Sustainability (Principles): March 2015
• High-Performance Sustainability (Practices): September 2015

Now that you have an idea of our 2014-2015 schedule, here is an overview of the educational scholarship opportunities you can take advantage of now.

Three Scholarships You Should Consider
Through the BOMA/Chicago Foundation, those currently working in commercial real estate have a tremendous opportunity to receive a scholarship that will cover all (or part of) the cost of tuition toward earning the industry’s highest designations – the RPA and FMA. Below are the three scholarships you may be eligible for:

Full Designation Scholarship: This scholarship is valued at $10,000 and provides funding for all eight required RPA or FMA designation courses. Application season for this scholarship is now open and applications are due by November 7, 2014.

Ollie Scholarship: The Ollie Scholarship is designed to promote diversity within the CRE industry by allowing recipients to earn full tuition toward the RPA. Applications will be accepted from December 1, 2014 until February 13, 2015.

Single Course Scholarship: This scholarship is valued at approximately $1,400 and provides funding for one designation course. Applications are due a minimum of two months in advance of the start date of the course for which the applicant is requesting scholarship funds.

Achieving success goes to those who have the most knowledge, expertise and credentials…and also to those who leap at opportunities such as the ones we outlined above. Give yourself a competitive edge in this dynamic industry today by participating in our relevant and affordable educational programs and by applying for a scholarship that could propel your career.

How have BOMA/Chicago’s educational offerings enhanced your career? What educational programs would you like to see BOMA/Chicago offer in the future? Leave us your comments below.

For more information about educational courses offered by BOMA/Chicago and available scholarships, contact Jaclynne Madden at jmadden@bomachicago.org.