REGULAR
Reflecting on 12 successful months
Delia Cannings, Chair of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), examines all of the progress the industry has made in 2024.
At this time of the year, as we head towards Christmas and New Year, we all tend to look back on the key events of the previous 12 months and think about what could be coming up next year.
Of course, 2024 started with a bang for the cleaning and hygiene sector, with the launch of the hugely exciting Level 2 Cleaning Hygiene
Operative apprenticeship. I want to appeal to sector companies to consider implementing the apprenticeship in their workplaces, and to strongly encourage interested staff members to sign up to study for it.
If we do not have enough interest from the sector in the apprenticeship, there is a risk it could be withdrawn altogether by the Government. This is a case of ‘use it or lose it’.
The announcement in September that a new Growth and Skills Levy will replace the Apprenticeship Levy is hugely encouraging, and we hope next year to see the idea being firmed up.
The launch of our new website earlier this year was another key achievement. On the site, there is a guide to Government schemes in England which provide support for employers to invest in their workforce. So please do take a look if you represent a cleaning and hygiene sector business looking to develop the skills of your staff. Find it here.
We will be launching another website next year which will address the lack of educational structure in terms of pathways for staff progression in the sector. This major project will see disparate information about industry education and training opportunities brought together in one easy to access place.
Throughout the year, we have continued to lobby the Government in support of the recommendations made by the sector’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), which aimed to put cleaning and hygiene at the heart of the national agenda.
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In September, we met with industry colleagues and lobbying experts to discuss revitalising this campaign. We are hopeful that the current Government will be receptive to our message. You can expect to see further developments next year and, in the long term, we are working to re-establish an APPG for the sector, as all UK APPGs were dissolved ahead of the General Election.
This year’s Cleaning Show in Manchester was the biggest and best-attended Manchester show ever, and next year’s London show is also promising to be a real cracker, with more exhibitors and conference speakers than ever. Registration is open and it is free to attend. You can sign up today here.
The industry research we released at the Manchester show valued the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry at £60bn and noted it employed 1.47m people, ensuring our sector remains one of the biggest in the UK. I will be very interested to see what has changed when we publish our updated figures at the London Show in March.
We continue to promote take-up of the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) in our sector, and you can expect to see a lot more from us in support of this vital initiative next year. Visit the EIDA website to find out more.
Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone in the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector for your hard work in 2024. The vital, skilled and professional job that sector staff do keeps people safe and well and contributes to the health and wealth of the nation. You deserve the country’s gratitude. I hope you have a wonderful festive period and a very happy New Year.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
http://www.eida.org/membership
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