WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY....
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE: WHY CAREERS ADVISERS NEED TO RETHINK A CLEANING CAREER BEYOND THE MOP AND BUCKET
Comment by DARREN MARSTON, Master of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC); DAVID GARCIA, Chair of the British Council of Cleaning (BCC); PAUL ASHTON, Chair of the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA); LORCAN MEKITARIAN, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA); and NEIL SPENCER-COOK, Chair of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc).
W
hen 50 Year 9 students visited
the Cleaning Show last year, they arrived with predictable assumptions. By the time they left, having engaged with robotics, met young executives and seen sensor technology in action, their outlook had completely changed.
It’s a transformation that education
professionals across the UK need to experience. The cleaning industry is worth £60 billion, employing 1.5 million people, 5% of the UK workforce. Yet in careers guidance,
it remains invisible or dismissed as low-skilled work. For the first time, the sector’s leading professional associations are speaking with one voice to change that narrative. The perception problem
“The biggest misconception is the ‘mop and bucket’ or ‘hand down the toilet’ image,” says Neil Spencer-Cook, Chair of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc). “Yes, these tasks are essential, but they’re not the only part of a cleaning career. Like any other industry, cleaning needs all the business assets and skills.”
Paul Ashton, Chair of the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA), is blunt about the impact: “We’re hearing from Gen Z professionals that they feel embarrassed to say they work in cleaning – not because of the work itself, but because of how society has framed it. These are capable, ambitious people in management roles. If a £60bn essential industry leaves its future leaders feeling invisible, that’s a narrative failure. Education and industry must fix that together.”
The embarrassment is misplaced. Modern cleaning specialists work with data analysis, chemical science, environmental sustainability, and increasingly sophisticated automation. It’s a gateway to facilities management, technology development, health and safety compliance, and business ownership.
A profession, not a stopgap
“The biggest misconception is that it’s not a career, but a stopgap,” says Darren Marston, Master of the Industry’s Livery Company and Founder of his own UK cleaning equipment supply company, pioneering AI. “It’s viewed as a minimum wage necessity. No one outside the industry perceives the sea of professional career possibilities that cleaning brings.” The evidence contradicts this. Full-time cleaning operatives earn above the national average, with substantial career pathways and remuneration. BICSc offers 40 specialist skills qualifications, from dust control to advanced machinery operation. Their one-year supervisor course and management programmes cover cleaning science, contract development and equipment specification.
February 2026
The Livery, the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners has recently collaborated with BICSc to create a training suite with Chartered Professional status in mind – yes, there are Chartered Environmental Cleaners now – offering what Marston describes as “a robust roadmap for a budding cleaning industry professional.”
Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), emphasises the academic opportunities: “So many people with degrees don’t know where to go to utilise them now. However, big cleaning companies want graduates to manage their organisations. You can come with or without a degree so consider cleaning companies as potential employers.”
The technology revolution
If there’s one message that all five association chairs emphasise, it’s that technology is transforming the sector beyond recognition. “Cleaning has become a data-driven, technology-enabled profession. We are recruiting people who think in systems, work with AI and analyse performance” explains Ashton. “The AI embedded reality should radically change how young people and their advisers view the industry.” Spencer-Cook highlights emerging specialisms: “Sensor technology and the growing need for data analysts who can interpret system outputs to streamline cleaning operations are in demand. The technology landscape in this industry is set to explode.”
For young people interested in robotics, data science or environmental technology, cleaning offers unexpected opportunities. As Mekitarian points out, “You could be managing things from a digital angle. Nobody expects that in our industry, but it is a modern reality.” Real opportunities, real travel
The international dimension surprises many students. Spencer-Cook describes young professionals who’ve worked at Wimbledon and Lords, or travelled internationally to places like Bosnia. Career progression is tangible - many professionals started as operatives and now own their companies. The CSSA has grown by 650% since 2017, reflecting the sector’s dynamism. Industry unity and credibility
Darren Marston and David Garcia - Chair of the British Council of Cleaning (BCC), are emphatic about industry collaboration to avoid duplication and progress together. This is already happening through initiatives like the University of Surrey’s Future of Cleaning study – a joint venture between BICSc and CSSA – the Clean Start initiative introducing the industry to schools, and the launch of the UK Cleaner Development Zone (
ukclean.org. uk) as a career hub. BICSc also hosts the Youth Employment Cleaning pages as part of Youth Employment UK. The public health dimension
COVID-19 made everyone aware of cleaning’s critical importance, yet that recognition hasn’t translated into careers guidance. Neil Spencer-Cook offers a thought experiment for educators, “Take the cleaning industry away, and then think about the state of all your public realm - offices, hospitals, schools, transport hubs, streets. We are the gatekeepers of public health and hygiene.”
For careers advisers looking beyond traditional degree pathways, cleaning offers recognised qualifications, clear progression and opportunities in an essential, growing sector. The challenge is ensuring guidance reflects this reality. As Paul Ashton puts it: “The scope of opportunities is unequalled and needs amplifying. To feel proud, extinguish the stigma. If we get communications right, we can change the perception.” The industry is ready for that conversation. The question is whether education professionals are ready to listen.
www.education-today.co.uk 23
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