Window cleaning, like many other sectors of the cleaning industry is facing a growing recruitment shortfall due to the lack of young people coming into the trade.
Perhaps the word ‘trade’ is part of the problem as it conjures up the wrong image or perhaps it is that cleaning is not seen as a genuine profession like many other sectors are.
As an industry, we need to work really hard to attract young people, there is huge potential to forge great careers within the cleaning sector and we need to make sure new talent is aware of this.
Research recently showed that only 6% of cleaning employees fall into the under 25 aged bracket, this is 50% less than the national average and at the other end of the scale 47% of cleaning employee’s are aged over 45.
Apprenticeships within cleaning are curently available but only up to Level Two and this is something The British Institute of Cleaning Science is working hard to change.
Qualified IRATA Window Cleaners working at height can earn anything up to £100,000 per annum, Cleaning Managers can earn in the region of £30,000 per annum and with the increases in National Minimum Wage and the introduction of the National Living Wage, cleaning staff no longer face the risk of being paid less than people of the same age in different industries.
We’ll soon be sharing what one of our young members of staff has to say about why he joined the cleaning industry and what he likes about it.
