NEST Backs SkillsUSA Facilithon Finalists With Travel Support for National Competition
Key Highlights
- Workforce pipeline focus: NEST is investing in students today to help address future skilled labor shortages
- Hands-on competition: Facilithon challenges students with real-world facilities management scenarios and problem-solving exercises
- Career awareness opportunity: The program helps expose students to facilities management careers that many may not otherwise consider
PHILADELPHIA, PA — NEST, a national provider of integrated facilities management services, is helping strengthen the future workforce pipeline by providing travel support for students who qualified for the Facilithon #NextGenOfFM National Finals, a SkillsUSA competition designed to introduce high school and technical school students to careers in facilities management.
The Facilithon finals will take place during the SkillsUSA Championships, scheduled for June 1–5 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The annual event brings together more than 6,800 state champions from across the country to compete in 115 skilled and leadership competitions, making it one of the largest hands-on workforce development events in the world.
Supporting Career Exposure and Workforce Development
“Programs like Facilithon give students confidence, exposure, and a clearer understanding of how their skills can translate into meaningful careers,” said Rob Almond, CEO of NEST. “We are proud to support that mission and help create access and awareness for these important and rewarding career paths in facilities management.”
NEST’s involvement aligns with broader workforce development initiatives designed to address labor shortages across the skilled trades and facilities sectors. The company helped establish the Skilled Trades Advisory Council in 2023 with a focus on increasing awareness of career opportunities and creating stronger pathways into the industry.
Supporting student participation in Facilithon expands that effort by helping connect young people with real-world experiences and future career opportunities.
Students Gain National Competition Opportunities
NEST’s support is helping students travel to Atlanta from across the country, including Pennsylvania Facilithon state winner Ashley Vargas from Eastern Center for Arts and Technology in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Returning competitor Drew Kraus of Hartford Union High School in Hartford, Wisconsin, will also compete after earning gold at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference.
“Facilities management has too often been a career people discover by accident,” said James Zirbel, Chairman of FM Pipeline Team Inc. “Facilithon is helping change that by introducing students to the field earlier and giving them a structured pathway into scholarships, internships, and future careers. With support from companies like NEST, we are creating the next generation of facilities management talent intentionally and strategically.”
Competition Simulates Real Facilities Challenges
Facilithon evaluates students on skills required in real-world facilities management environments through a 50-question assessment, a facilities management role-play exercise, and an emergency-response challenge designed to test decision-making under pressure.
Administered by FM Pipeline Team Inc., the program is intended to build awareness around facilities management as a career path while helping students develop practical skills and industry knowledge.
The SkillsUSA Championships represent the final stage of a yearlong competitive process that begins at local chapters and advances through district, regional, and state competitions before students earn the opportunity to compete nationally.
To learn more about the SkillsUSA competitions, visit www.skillsusa.org/competitions.