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Leadership education is growing – but is the cleaning sector ready to reward it?
4th of June 2026 Article by Wioleta Tomaszewska
Wioleta Tomaszewska is chair of NFSR, part of the Nordic cooperation through NOCC, BU support planner cleaning at Coor FM and lecturer in cleaning management.
Across the Nordic region, leadership education for cleaning managers is developing in different ways. New vocational programmes are emerging in Norway, Sweden offers specialised leadership initiatives, Finland continues to value formal education, while Estonia has spent decades building qualification systems linked directly to labour market requirements.
Yet despite these developments, one question remains relevant across much of the sector: are recruitment practices evolving at the same pace as educational opportunities?
As chair of Norsk Forening for Service og Renhold (NFSR) and part of the Nordic cooperation through NOCC (Nordic Cleaning Cooperation), I became curious about whether this was mainly a Norwegian challenge or part of a broader Nordic and Baltic trend.
The answers reveal a sector in transition.
Norway: educational opportunities are growing
Norway has recently seen new educational initiatives aimed at cleaning leaders. Tirna offers a two-year vocational college programme in Cleaning Management (EQF level 5), while Fagskolen Oslo provides a one-year programme for middle managers in cleaning.
At the same time, OsloMet continues to offer facility management courses, despite the fact that Norway's dedicated bachelor pathway in FM gradually disappeared after restructuring.
This creates an interesting contradiction. While the sector increasingly discusses sustainability, leadership, competence and professionalisation, many Norwegian job advertisements for cleaning managers still prioritise operational background, industry experience and practical leadership over formal education.
At the same time, the role itself is becoming more complex. Today's cleaning managers are expected to handle customer dialogue, quality systems, digital tools, work environment responsibilities, sustainability requirements and people management - often simultaneously.
The Norwegian example also raises a broader question: can educational pathways survive in the long term if employers and the sector do not actively recognise them?
Sweden and Finland: education matters, but experience still carries weight
Sweden offers a broad educational landscape. According to Matthias Lindholm from Städbranschen Sverige, leadership opportunities include vocational programmes in Facility Management and Service Management, industry training, internal company programmes and shorter leadership courses. Sweden also offers a one-year 'Leadership License' aimed specifically at cleaning leaders.
However, Swedish employers still tend to value operational experience strongly. "Practical experience generally weighs most heavily, but education strengthens competitiveness," says Lindholm.
Finland presents a somewhat different picture. According to Sari Mattila from Puhtausala ry, Finland provides formal supervisory and leadership education through vocational institutions and universities of applied sciences. She points out that education traditionally has a strong position in Finnish society. "Those with education tend to progress better in their career paths," she explains.
Still, differences remain between sectors. Public organisations often value both education and experience, while many leaders in private companies continue to grow into management positions through practice.
Finland has also worked closely with Baltic partners through projects focusing on competence development, ergonomics and professionalisation.
Denmark: when educational pathways disappear
Denmark highlights another challenge. According to Jytte Hansen from Dansk Rengøringsteknisk Forening, Denmark previously offered an academy-level programme in hygiene and cleaning technology. However, the programme disappeared because too few students enrolled.
"We thought that was really a shame and hope that the interest could become strong enough for this education to return," Hansen says.
Leadership education still exists through vocational schools, but the system is more fragmented and based on shorter courses.
The Danish case illustrates how specialised educational pathways can become fragile when recruitment systems and labour market demand do not clearly reward qualifications.
Estonia: stronger links between education and market expectations
Estonia offers a different perspective. According to Helge Alt from Puhastusekspert, professional examinations for cleaning personnel have existed for more than 20 years, while cleaning manager qualifications have been established for around 18 years.
Qualifications are closely linked to labour market expectations. "In cleaning tenders it is very common to require managers with EQF level 4 or 5 qualifications, and often also INSTA 800 knowledge," Alt explains. Estonia also offers several educational pathways, including state-approved micro-qualification programmes and vocational education linked to EQF levels.
Compared with many Nordic examples, Estonia appears to connect education, procurement and recruitment more directly.
A sector in transition
Across the Nordic and Baltic region, leadership education opportunities are expanding. More organisations recognise that cleaning leadership involves far more than operational supervision.
Modern leaders are expected to understand sustainability, digital systems, quality management, customer relations, workforce development and strategic planning.
At the same time, operational experience still often weighs more heavily than formal leadership qualifications.
Norway and Denmark illustrate how educational pathways can struggle when they are not sufficiently recognised. Estonia demonstrates another model, where qualifications are more closely linked to market expectations.
The discussion therefore goes beyond education itself. The real question is how strongly the sector chooses to recognise, support and reward formal leadership competence in practice.
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