With some uncertainty over Brexit and the country’s economy as a whole, the focus in the cleaning sector has got to be on issues like resources, skills and costs.
In addition to this, we’re also faced with other challenges like reducing our impact on the environment, advances in cleaning technologies and demand for higher cleaning standards which ultimately means the industry faces an unprecedented level of upheaval in the coming years.
But rather than look at them as challenges, we here at USS like to look at them as opportunities for long lasting, positive change.
We have the opportunity to invest in new cleaning technology making the job more comfortable and safer for our operatives, the opportunity to reduce the high volumes of chemicals used and look more closely at the cleaning processes instead and the opportunity to continue offering our preventative maintenance programmes which enable us to reduce contamination before it builds up rather than focusing on the clean-up itself.
With the UK leaving the EU, a lack of young people joining the industry and a generation of cleaning professionals rapidly approaching retirement there is also the possibility of a looming skills crisis, investing heavily as we do in training operatives to become multi-skilled professionals is one way we look to reduce the impact that such skills crisis could cause.
External circumstances are such that change is inevitable and what we do need to do now as a company and as a sector is embrace these changes in order to be able to future proof the industry.
