REGULAR
Working together
David Garcia, Chair of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), says we should work together to attract more young people to the industry.
I was struck by the news recently that the number of new entry-level UK jobs has dropped by almost a third since the launch of ChatGPT. The report said that companies are using artificial intelligence to cut back the size of their workforces.
I know of a recent graduate who has been struggling to get their first job in their chosen industry. The young person concerned has sent an avalanche of applications and emails without even landing a work experience role.
I would tell any young person looking to take their first career steps to seriously consider joining the cleaning and hygiene sector. Our industry can offer staff job satisfaction, the opportunity to succeed in your career, rapid progression and/or options for part-time or flexible working.
The industry has vacancies not just in frontline roles, but in supervisory and management positions, and in support functions such as business administration, digital marketing, creative and design, distribution and much more. There are plenty of entry level jobs and the industry is easier to join, regardless of your qualifications, than many other sectors.
Our own research last year predicted that the UK cleaning industry would generate 93,000 new jobs in 2024. However, 29% of those jobs would be ‘hard to fill’. The perennial problem is that young people have negative perceptions of the cleaning and hygiene industry, which means they miss out on some fantastic career opportunities.
In recent years, the cleaning and hygiene sector has focused on attracting the younger staff needed to fill vacancies left by our ageing workforce, and there are some great initiatives underway. Our colleagues at the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) have been running the excellent Clean Start initiative, visiting schools to discuss the industry with pupils.
The aim is to move perceptions away from the basic ‘mop and bucket’ idea that some people still believe in, to
24 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
offer a truthful insight into the exciting roles and career opportunities available in this global industry, so that fresh talent chooses the sector as their career path.
The team at the British Institute for Cleaning Science (BICSc) has also been doing sterling work in this area. Our BICSc colleagues invested in a dedicated online hub, the Cleaning Industry Careers Guide, on the Youth Employment UK website to highlight the numerous career opportunities the sector offers. It is a fantastic showcase for the sector, with case studies, insightful articles and background information.
The UK Cleaning Career Development Zone is also a key initiative for attracting young recruits. It brings together information about over 40 career development, training and education opportunities into one place where it can be easily accessed, so would-be recruits can easily find the information they need to succeed in their careers.
In the coming months, we will be designing a social media and digital communications campaign to promote the Zone, specifically aimed at telling young people about the wealth of opportunities offered by a career in the sector.
With so much of the industry focused on this common goal, I believe the next step must be for us to see how we can work together to achieve results. There is huge potential for synergy when we are reaching out to young people.
As I discussed in my last column, unity will be a key theme while I am at the helm of the BCC. I sincerely believe that the industry can achieve much more if we stand together, and this area provides a good opportunity to put that into practice.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org x.com/TomoCleaning
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