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Street cleansing staff take apprenticeship route to better service
Online learning need identified in stakeholder survey
Employers need learning and qualification routes that are flexible and accessible - with a preference for web-based modules and shorter courses. That’s themain message to emerge from WAMITAB’s annual customer and stakeholder satisfaction survey. The principal findings
were: • A significant proportion of respondents would like to seeWAMITAB develop online learning (33%), while a fur- ther 20%of respondents thought thatWAMITAB should develop short courses. • 76%of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that WAMITAB is the brand of choice for all waste qualifi- cations - an increase of 7% on last year. • 71%of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would useWAMITAB for qualifications other than wastemanagement. Customers and stakehold- ers were also asked to rate
WAMITAB in terms of the quality of its customer serv- ices, qualifications and web- site, with overwhelmingly positive responses. Chris James, CEO of
WAMITAB, said: “The desire formore online learning is a trend we have seen develop- ing over the last year or so. It hasmany benefits for both employers and employees, as it allows learning to take place wherever and when- ever is convenient, enabling learners to ‘tailor’ their training in terms of fitting in with their personal and pro- fessional lives. It also saves money for employers, as there are none of the costs associated with residential courses, such as transport and accommodation. Shorter courses enable learning to be broken down intoman- ageable chunks, and offer the chance for a swifter pro- gression in terms of qualifi- cations achieved, which is highlymotivating for the learner. It’s gratifying that WAMITAB scored so highly in
terms of being the brand of choice for waste qualifica- tions, but it is also encourag- ing to see such a significant proportion of respondents indicate that they would use us for other qualifications too. The convergence of the cleaning, FM, recycling and wastemanagement indus- tries is something we have been watching closely, and we are continuing to expand our qualifications offer to cover these complementary sectors, which are increas- ingly working closer to- gether.We value feedback fromour customers and stakeholders highly, as it helps us to review our per- formance and ensure that we continue to provide them with the care and support they have come to expect fromus.WAMITAB are com- mitted to working closely with industry sectors to de- velop the qualifications, skills and competency frameworks that will deliver the results they require.”
www.wamitab.org.uk
BIFMlaunches FMProfessional Standards
The British Institute of Facili- tiesManagement (BIFM) has announced the launch of the FacilitiesManagement Pro- fessional Standards. Created in consultation with FMin- dustry stakeholders, experts and professional standards writers, the standards forma global competencemodel for the profession. The BIFMFacilitiesMan-
agement Professional Stan- dards clearly define the key functions performed by FMs, themain components of each functional area, and the competences which are re- quired to be a proficient pro- fessional when carrying out each function. The compe- tences are defined for each level in an FM’s career, from a support role through to a strategic role. These stan- dards can be used to bench- mark skills, knowledge and
competence for those work- ing at all levels in the FM profession. The FMProfessional Stan-
dards will be a vital tool for: • FMprofessionals (at any career level) - to understand what is required in the role, where he/she can develop skills and knowledge to en- hance performance and ad- vance their own career. • Employers of FMstaff - to better understand the skills and capability they can ex- pect fromFMteams. The FM Professional Standards can be used to identify capability gaps and aid workforce plan- ning to identify purposeful training and professional de- velopment needs as well as assist with FMrecruitment. • Learning and development professionals - to identify de- velopment needs aligned to the FMProfessional Stan-
6 l C&M l APRIL 2014 l
www.cleaninghub.net
dards. They can also use the FMProfessional Standards to informlearner assess- ment processes and tools. • New entrants to the pro- fession - school leavers, ca- reer changers, anyone considering a career in FM- to identify the types of roles and responsibilities involved in FMand the skills and knowledge requirements. Linda Punter, head of
learning and development at Bouygues, said: “The cre- ation of these standards fur- ther demonstrates BIFM’s mission to be the profes- sional body responsible for promoting excellence in fa- cilitiesmanagement for the benefit of practitioners, the economy and society. As a company committed to ex- cellence, I amsure that we will find theminvaluable.”
www.bifm.org.uk
Training froma north east provider that is giving older staff the opportunity to improve their qualifications and provide a first class service to the public is proving a winning formula for a WestMidlands council. Dudley Council approached national training specialist B-Skill, which is headquartered in Newcas- tle, to deliver the Customer Services Adult Apprenticeship at level 2 to its street cleansing operatives after previous en- quiries to other training companies drew a blank. Although the council has previously provided adult appren-
ticeships for other departments, this is the first time that frontline workers such as street cleaners have had the chance to improve their customer service skills. The B-Skill training is now equipping staff with the knowledge to represent their em- ployer properly on a daily basis when they respond tomem- bers of the public, helping ensure the correct information is provided at all times. Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinetmember for transport,
said: “The staff enrolled on the course aremoremature and have never completed an apprenticeship before.When they applied, they were told there would be a lotmore written work. This, combined with that fact notmany have been in a class- roomenvironment for a long time, caused some nerves but since starting the training, feedback fromthe staff has been positive.”
The course covers communication and how to provide a first
class service and feedback for customers. It also focuses on improving the adult apprentices’maths and English skills. Trainees additionally learn about employers’ rights and re- sponsibilities. B-Skill’s national client relationshipmanager, Andrea Ayl-
win, said: “Customer service training is vital for staff through- out an organisation, whatever their job, but is particularly important for those coming into contact with the public on a daily basis. At B-Skill, we recognise that training schemes don’t come in a one size fits all format and we specialise in adapting our approach to suit the requirements of our clients. This Adult Apprenticeship will ensure Dudley’s street cleaners are able to communicate confidently and effectively with the public, while improving their own qualifications at the same time.”
www.b-skill.com
GoogleGlass to help cleaners
Making the work of professional cleanersmore pleasant, more efficient, and above all safer: that’s the goal of a test in which cleaners are equipped with Google Glass eyewear. Alpheios, one of the largest companies in the Benelux, spe- cialising in professional cleaning products, systems and strategies, sees all kinds of possibilities with the eyewear that can further enhance the skills of its cleaning staff. The goal of the test is to show whether any of the function-
alities of Google Glass could support cleaning professionals in carrying out their work, fromconsulting remotely with ex- perts and passing on location-based information to reporting risks through real-time registration. Having conducted an extensive preliminary investigation including first hand expe- rience with the wearable device, Alpheios will shortly be launching the pilot.
www.alpheios.nl
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