Strategies for Training a High-Performing Maintenance Team
The recorded 45-minute session features Lourdes Ayala, Learning Manager at Willow Bridge Property Company, sharing how they revamped their maintenance training program by using virtual simulations, structured onboarding guides, and career development pathways to accelerate technician onboarding, improve retention, and scale training efficiently despite limited resources and rising industry challenges.
The maintenance staffing crisis is not slowing down. Traditional training methods can’t keep pace with rising technician turnover and growing demand for skilled maintenance professionals. Property management companies face a critical challenge: how to build a reliable, high-performing maintenance team when time, resources, and experienced trainers are limited.
The answer lies in rethinking how maintenance training is designed, delivered, and scaled.
Watch how Willow Bridge Property Company did it.
In this 45-minute recorded session, Lourdes Ayala walks through how they transformed their maintenance training program to meet these challenges head-on. You’ll see their complete approach to reimagining the employee journey—from attracting and recruiting qualified candidates, to accelerating new hire onboarding, to building career pathways that keep top performers engaged long term.
You'll learn:
- Strategies for accelerating new maintenance technician onboarding using virtual simulations and 90-day onboarding guides.
- Methods to improve technician retention through career development pathways.
- Techniques for scaling maintenance training programs without requiring additional trainers or physical equipment.
Meet the Speakers
Lourdes Ayala, Learning Manager – Willow Bridge Property
Lourdes Ayala is the National Learning Manager for Facilities Maintenance Training Programs at Willow Bridge Property Company (formerly Lincoln Property Company), where she began her career with the organization in 2016 as a Learning & Talent Development Director. In her current role, she leads the development and delivery of training initiatives that support operational excellence and technical skill growth across maintenance teams nationwide.
With a property management career spanning more than two decades, beginning in 2001, she brings extensive experience in both supervisory leadership and front-line operations. Her background includes multi-property operations, marina management, and new construction and start-up development, providing a well-rounded operational perspective that informs her training approach.
She previously served in the United States Marine Corps, completing tours both stateside and in Japan, where she developed a strong foundation in leadership, discipline, and teamwork that continues to influence her career.
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Strategies For Training a High-Performing Maintenance Team
The webinar titled "Strategies For Training a High-Performing Maintenance Team" addresses the ongoing maintenance staffing crisis by showcasing how Willow Bridge Property Company, led by Learning Manager Lourdes Ayala, has innovatively redesigned their training program using virtual simulations, structured onboarding guides, and career development pathways to accelerate technician onboarding, improve retention, and scale training efficiently without extra trainers or equipment.
3D & VR Sim-Based Training For Students
Interplay Learning provides online, on-demand 3D simulation and virtual reality training for skilled trades students, offering industry-recognized certifications, flexible practice environments, curriculum-aligned content across various trades, and proven success in preparing students for workforce readiness through partnerships with employers and educational institutions.
3D & VR Sim-Based Training for Skilled Trades Education
Interplay Learning provides online, on-demand 3D simulation and virtual reality training for skilled trades education, offering industry-aligned courses and certifications across various trades to help students learn faster, practice safely anytime, track progress easily, and gain employer-recognized credentials that enhance job readiness and workforce placement.