Real estate advisor Savills has announced that it will provide complimentary consultancy services for educational institutions in the GCC. Savills will be providing free asset operational health checks, where they will be able to identify areas of potential cost savings for schools, universities and colleges. These services are for educational institutions, which might have been affected by the novel coronavirus – COVID-19.
According to a statement from Savills, schools and college operators can utilise this service to reduce their overheads and ensure that they remain viable to provide crucial education to children and young adults. It also means that teachers and administrative staff can maintain their jobs during this difficult time, the consultancy company added.
Simone Dobson, director for Savills’ Property and Facilities Management, said: “Education providers are under pressure to reduce costs and one of the ways of doing this is through identifying and lowering operational expenditure.”
“In this time of need, the private sector needs to support communities as much as the government. While the real estate sector is also under some pressure from the impacts of COVID-19, it is our responsibility as a business that is committed to the region, to help where we can.”
“We hope to help schools identify cost savings and that they will be able to pass some of these savings to parents and families in the region,” she added.
Savills added that the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in schools across the GCC being closed for the reminder of the academic year. This prolonged closure presents challenges for the operational management of schools and other education establishments who need to adjust maintenance schedules, energy consumption and a number of other operational aspects.
The firm stated that within the education sector, it provides comprehensive advisory and consultancy services to all education-related occupiers. Following the free consultation, education providers will be under no obligation to engage Savills to implement any cost savings, but the advisors will be on hand for those who do require assistance, it added.