Since 2011 the UK cleaning industry’s annual turnover is estimated to have risen from £4.7 billion to in excess of £55 billion. It bears out that centuries old proverb that ‘where’s the muck, there’s brass’ – or money! There is no doubt that the cleaning industry is one of the biggest in the UK. The British Cleaning Council (BCC) which was established in 1982 reckons that 1.47 million people are employed in their business sector, that’s five per cent of the UK’s workforce. It means that the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry remains firmly in the UK top 10 for employment.
The BCC is the UK sector’s authoritative voice and is made up of 22 trade and membership associations which are all linked to the cleaning and hygiene professions. From contract cleaning to waste management, pest control to housekeeping, training providers to machine manufacturers, chemical suppliers to wheelie-bin washers – the BCC coordinates, campaigns and supports the affairs of the whole of the UK’s cleaning industry.
The BCC’s most recent research report (May 2021) rightly highlights the impact of the pandemic on the sector and favourable public perception of cleaning and hygiene workers, “protecting the health and wellbeing of others, while often putting themselves at risk.”
BCC Chairman, Paul Thrupp, said: “Increased awareness of the importance of cleaning and hygiene means our industry will continue to play a vital role as the UK recovers from the pandemic and into the future. I believe the outlook going forward is very positive.”
So even though lockdowns and home working may have reduced demand for commercial cleaning in the last year or so, hygiene and cleanliness increasingly underpins many aspects of life today and is essential for the prevention of diseases and spread of infection.
More than ever people actively seek out clean, safe and comfortable environments and the appreciation of the industry’s workforce and skilled operatives is arguably at an all-time high.
Qualifications
The BCC expects the cleaning industry to bounce back fully once the impact of Covid-19 abates. The number of people searching for ‘cleaning services’ online in November 2020 was double the figure for the same month in 2018.
In a commercial setting extracting a duster and plugging in a hoover just isn’t going to cut it. Just like any industry, there are nationally recognised qualifications to be had and cleaning is no different -from City & Guilds awards and diplomas to the British Cleaning Certificate.
By taking Asset Training’s Principles of Cleaning distance learning course you can attain a great foundation which will help you stand out for the crowd.
Successful applicants will achieve a national recognised Level 2 qualification, show evidence of your competency to employers, or even clients if you intend to set up your own business. The course will serve to further your personal and professional development while you can learn at a time that suits you without the need to attend college.
The course will improve your understanding of various dangers of contamination and spread of disease, teach you how to deal with routine and non-routine waste, health and safety for the cleaning and support services industry and working with others within it. You will also learn the principles of cleaning interiors and washrooms.
Crucially it will help set you up if you want to go on and commit to further study.
Cleaning Up
According to the BBC report, there are more than 66,000 cleaning businesses in the UK up from almost 60,000 in 2016. The report says that the sustainable cleaning market is set to boom, as well, and that means a growing demand for waste collection, disposal and recycling services and for environmentally friendly cleaners using ‘green’ cleaning products which has been growing for a while.
The demand for cleaners is there and with it, the incentive to clean up.