The interdisciplinary Facility and Sustainable Building Management degree aligns with the requirements set by the facility management industry for qualified facility management professionals. Students will be educated and provided on-the-job work experience. Students will understand the cross-functional aspects of a successful facility manager and will be further educated on the roles facility managers play, the basics of building operations and maintenance, building sustainability and work management within the facility manager job function. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) estimates the average age of practicing facility managers is more than 49 years old. IFMA also forecasts that 30% to 50% of practicing facility managers will retire within the next 10 years. This indicates a pending employment gap and a need for younger, well-educated and qualified facility management professionals. IFMA has turned to California community colleges to help fill this gap. The Facility and Sustainable Building Management certificates and degrees will prepare students for careers in building sustainability, space planning, environmental health and safety, energy efficiency, sustainable landscaping, real estate, property management, human resources and other business-related job functions such as marketing, sales and accounting.