By Healthcare Facilities Today

Attracting young people to the healthcare facilities management field is increasingly important as many senior leaders prepare to retire, according to an article in the November issue of Health Facilities Management magazine. 

A 2012 salary survey by Health Facilities Management and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) found that 40 percent of managers were older than 55 — an increase from 35 percent in the 2009 survey. 

Developing the next generation of health care facility professionals involves exposing young people to the field, ensuring that college students receive the knowledge and experience they need to succeed, furthering the career of current facility professionals and helping hospitals to prepare succession plans, according to the article.

The field can be attractive to students with a wide variety of interests. Students who are more interested in technical careers can become an HVAC technician, electrician, carpenter or develop another technical skill through community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs, the article said.

Read the article.