ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Cleaning and hygiene sector employers, training operatives, providers and assessment organisations in the UK are being encouraged to have their say on proposals for an Apprenticeship Levy accredited industrywide training programme and apprenticeship.

Consultation on proposals for the Cleaning Hygiene Operative apprenticeship runs until February 18.

A Trailblazer group of industry employers and sector experts, sponsored by the British Cleaning Council (BCC), has developed the first draft of the training programme and apprenticeship for the sector.

Now feedback from the sector is absolutely crucial for informing the proposal, it says, which will be considered by approving body The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) in the next stage of the process.

BCC chairman Jim Melvin explained: "The industry has continuously stated how much we wish to utilise Apprenticeship Levy funding and shown overwhelming support for the idea of a training and development programme aligned to, and with an apprenticeship for, the sector.

"It will without doubt assist in the removal of any ‘low skilled' perceptions that remain or that are levelled at the industry.

"I cannot encourage all of our collective industry stakeholders strongly enough to please review these published proposals and supply feedback on them to help ensure the best possible Cleaning Hygiene Operative apprenticeship is developed.

"It is now within our power to ensure we can use the highly significant amounts of money that currently go to government without industry use in order to develop the skills of our superb teams. Please do not miss the opportunity."

Stakeholders should visit britishcleaningcouncil.org/cleaning-hygiene-operative-consultation and email replies by 5pm on the last day, Friday February 18.