Team Training and Certifications with NFPA’s Holly Burgess

The skilled trades have long-standing issues with recruiting and retaining employees. Could certifications and training help employers keep good workers? Holly Burgess of NFPA joins the Buildings Podcast to explore how professional development can be highly attractive to prospective and current employees.
April 27, 2026
2 min read

Key Highlights

After listening to this podcast, you’ll learn:

  • How offering certification opportunities can help you attract and keep talent
  • Certifications offered by NFPA for facility managers
  • Why it’s worth it to invest in employee development
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Facility managers are always asked to do more with less—so how can they find the money to upskill their employees or offer professional development to prospective hires? This episode of the Buildings Podcast looks at why training and certifications should be a top priority—plus, how facility managers can find training opportunities on a tight budget.

Show Notes:

Check out these free resources:

About Our Guest:

Holly Burgess is the technical lead for Industrial and Chemical Safety at NFPA. She serves as an industrial and chemical safety subject matter expert in the development of content, products, and services that support NFPA and its stakeholders. Holly has over 25 years of experience in the areas of safety, health, and environmental protection for industrial, chemical, and nuclear facilities.  

Holly is active in many professional societies including ASSP, AIHA, ACS, and NSC. She is also a board member for the Women in Safety Excellence (WISE) of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and Alliance of Women’s Safety Apparel Manufacturers (AWSAM). Holly is a recognized speaker and publisher, speaking at ASSP, WISE, Safety Connect, United Steel Workers, and the International Safety Equipment Association. She is a certified safety professional (CSP) through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.

About the Author

Janelle Penny

Editor-in-Chief at BUILDINGS

Janelle Penny has been with BUILDINGS since 2010. She is a two-time FOLIO: Eddie award winner who aims to deliver practical, actionable content for building owners and facilities professionals.

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