Democratising training for cleaning operatives

10th of August 2018 Article by Joanne Gilliard
Democratising training for cleaning operatives

In her latest blog for ECJ, Jangro chief executive officer Joanne Gilliard looks at how technology is making it possible to offer cost effective training to a large audience.

Training should not be vexing - it's that simple. It should not be a burden that sees cleaning operatives struggle to find the time and money to undertake training courses. While many cleaning operatives still think the traditional training model of days in a training centre physically learning from an instructor is the only way to gain knowledge about the latest practices and products in the cleaning industry, there is another way.

The digital revolution is democratising training for the cleaning industry - e-learning modules can be a highly effective way of providing high-quality training to a large audience and are often highly cost-effective or even free. That this type of training does not take time out of a working day, and the best courses allow operatives to dip in and out of sessions, providing very high flexibility. The best distance learning platforms can be accessed on smart phones and on desktop computers, so the majority of cleaning operatives already have the hardware they need.

But how do you know if you are looking at a quality e-training course, and what are the key points to watch out for? Here are our top five tips:

Quality: The best e-learning training platforms for cleaning operatives will generally be offered by existing, well-known brands in the cleaning industry, and developed in association with independent, reputable industry experts.

Range: Quality e-learning courses will cover a wide range of topics, from health and safety basics to specialist activities such as floor care, carpet care, and kitchen and washroom hygiene.

Adaptability: Ideally, course lengths would vary, with users able to train remotely at times that suit them. This allows cleaning operatives to dip in and out of short sessions or longer sessions, making learning highly flexible and accessible.

Reporting: The best e-learning courses will allow cleaning supervisors to remotely monitor the progress of students and generate reports based on the training they've received and their success. This documentation can help with bidding.

Supporting information: As well as certification of courses undertaken, ideally, e-learning providers would also supply a range of free supporting health and safety information, as well as technical data sheets, and product usage guides; if the training is offered in connection with the use of specific products.

E-learning should not replace the hands-on training approach, but rather offer an extra form of highly flexible and accessible training, with the aim of raising standards of health and safety in the industry.

Our industry is not behind the times when it comes to innovation. Many professional cleaning operatives are alert to the benefits of new technology, and to how distance learning can directly benefit them. E-learning allows high-quality training to reach a large audience that may not otherwise have undertaken such a programme - and this can only be a good thing for raising health and safety standards in our industry.

Here at Jangro, we passionately believe that training should be high quality, easily accessible and cost-effective. In fact, we have just made our e-learning platform, the Jangro Learning Management Solution, even more versatile and accessible through the introduction of animated cleaning guide shorts in the form of Task Cards.

 

 

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