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Nordic boosts job prospects of 150 talented youngsters
A specialist cleaning firm has revealed a surge in the popularity of its apprenticeship scheme, having put 150 young people through the course in its last financial year. Nordic Pioneer, based in Darlington, runs an apprenticeship training programme which teaches 16 to 24-year-olds how to carry out environmental maintenance and cleaning duties, such as tackling graffiti, whilst developing a strong work ethic.
In the year to the end of December 2010, over 150 people joined the scheme - compared to 120 the previous year - with almost 70% of them landing jobs at the end of the course.
Among the most recent crop of apprentices was Anthony Frater, aged 23 from Thornaby, who was able to find work beyond the cleaning sector thanks to the transferable skills taught on the course. Shortly after completing an NVQ Level 2 in cleaning and support services with Nordic, he was taken on as a forklift operator at a firm in Stockton.
He said: “Nordic helped me to research the job market, match my skills and experience to those required by employers, and showed me how to put my thoughts on paper. I ended up with a really good CV, and also got help with how to answer those tricky interview questions that I got stuck on in the past.”
Nordic’s head of training development, Ray Brown, believes that it’s not just the skills the students learn but the strong work ethic they develop while training with Nordic that increases their chances of employment. He said: “This programme gives young people an opportunity to gain work experience whilst learning new skills around environmental maintenance. However I think one of the most important things they develop is the right attitude towards work which enables them to be successfully placed with employers. We have created community based jobs, which give our young people an opportunity to work and address the environmental problems of their locality and at the same time complete a full apprenticeship. Throughout the country the programme has assisted in galvanizing the community through generating trust, a work ethic and community spirit through all generations, land owners and partners.”
www.nordicpioneer.co.uk
Futures Supplies does the double!
Celebrating the best of Croydon’s business talent, more than 40 short- listed businesses out of hundreds of initial entries went head to head in the finals of The Croydon Business Awards 2011. The ceremony and gala dinner held at Fairfield Halls saw Futures Supplies & Support Services Ltd presented with a fantastic double win.
Futures Supplies, a south London based independent distributor of washroom, cleaning and janitorial products, was recognised and rewarded for its exceptional commitment to delivering sustainable cleaning solutions and its CSR activities, collecting the top awards for both the ‘Best Business for Sustainability’ and ‘Best Business for Community Contribution’.
The Croydon Business Awards 2011, in association with Barclays, have been developed by South London Business in order to reward and celebrate the most dynamic and innovative businesses in the borough.
Mandie Kemp, managing director, said: “We are living, breathing proof that you can run a profitable, sustainable and successful business and still change lives through engaging and supporting the local and wider community. At Futures Supplies, we see supporting young people as our legacy. Give a young, unemployed person an opportunity and you are helping to build the future for generations to come.”
CarbonNeutral since 2006, Futures Supplies’ objectives are to deliver service, quality, value, reliability and sustainability through continuous improvement.
www.futures-supplies.co.uk
Hygiene Group’s new ‘pet’ project
A one-off cleaning project undertaken by Hygiene Group for a major pet food manufacturer has proved so successful that the company’s services are now being used on a routine basis.
Wagg Foods’ production facility at Thirsk in North Yorkshire manufactures a variety of dried pet foods which are sold through major supermarkets and pet shops across the UK. Many of the major retail chains regularly audit their pet food suppliers, with some of them requiring that products are manufactured to the same standards of hygiene and safety as items destined for human consumption.
With a stringent audit for a major customer imminent, Wagg Foods called in Hygiene Group to undertake a deep clean of the entire facility with specific focus on all aspects of the site’s environmental cleaning requirements. The third party audit was passed successfully and a team from Hygiene Group now works on-site at Thirsk in a flexible arrangement for up to three days each week to ensure Wagg Foods’ environmental hygiene schedule is adhered to and standards are maintained.
Simon Collinson, technical manager for Wagg Foods, said: “We had been undertaking cleaning using internal production staff but knew that, in order to meet the ever more stringent standards demanded by major retailers, we would need to work with a specialist contract cleaning supplier. The contribution of the Hygiene Group team to the initial audit was significant, with dramatic improvements made on-site, prompting very positive comments from the external auditor. Hygiene Group is now helping us to consolidate the improvements made and ensuring standards are not just maintained but exceeded.”
Richard Horton of Hygiene Group added: “This is a clear example of the benefits of using a dedicated cleaning supplier, who can provide dedicated, trained staff with the flexibility to provide one-off deep cleans or ongoing work as required. Pet food production is an area which is subject to increasing scrutiny from retailers with regard to the hygiene of manufacturing facilities and we believe our experience in the food production sector will stand us in good stead for winning further work in this area.”
www.hygiene.co.uk
BICSc 50th anniversary service and reception
The British Institute of Cleaning Science held a 50th anniversary reception and celebratory lunch on 3 May to honour those who have made definitive contributions to the Institute. The reception took place at Trinity House and was preceded by a golden jubilee service of celebration at the historic St Olave’s Church within the City of London.
Many leading figures from the cleaning industry attended the event, including past winners of the Institute’s awards, the Sholom Gordon award and the Eric Hill medal. Fellows of the Institute and current members of the BICSc National Council also attended, as well as past national chairmen of the Institute.
As part of the 50th anniversary, fellow and life vice president of the Institute, Colin Hasson, has written a book about its history - ‘To teach to clean: Docere Pugare’ - looking back at 50 years of BICSc. This is available for sale via the website.
www.bics.org.uk
Staffs County Council chooses Sebo
When Staffordshire County Council was looking to streamline its inventory of upright vacuum cleaners a wide variety of models from different manufacturers was trialled and, eventually, Sebo was selected as the manufacturer of choice. Now, some six years on, the authority has completed the replacement of all its upright vacuum cleaners with Sebo machines and has won an award for its cleaning.
Sebo BS36 and 46 twin motor upright vacuum cleaners were chosen by Staffordshire County Council after on site trials of the machines and the evaluation of feedback from frontline staff. This was followed by a tender valuation process. Engineers at the county council also stripped down the test machines to identify any areas where there could be long term weaknesses or faults. Ease of use and lifetime costs were other key considerations with items like bag and brush replacement taken into account.
Due to their low weight and wide heads, the Sebo machines make it easy to clean wide areas quickly and without fatigue. Staffordshire County Council’s cleaning services team is now using them in some 550 contracts throughout the authority. These include schools, libraries, fire headquarters, social care and health outlets, schools, nurseries and youth clubs. The team itself was recognised as ‘Best service team: Building/facilities cleaning’ at the recent Association for Public Service Excellence awards which celebrate the best in front line service delivery in local government.
Chris Ryan, group manager (development) at Staffordshire County Council, said: “Our frontline staff have to be equipped properly so they can do their job efficiently. The Sebo machines are fit for that task and are head and shoulders above the competition. They’re industry workhorses; incredibly robust and solid, well-built machines with the bonus that consumables like bags are competitively priced. With the Sebo machines, we’ve seen reductions in our costs both for repairs and consumables.”
www.sebo.co.uk
WCEC announces 25th anniversary charity ball
The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners is celebrating its 25th anniversary of the Company achieving full Livery status with a summer charity ball on the evening of Saturday 9 July. Friends and colleagues from the cleaning industry are invited to the fundraising event, which takes place at the Grange St Paul’s hotel, London. It opens with a champagne reception from 6.30pm, followed by a four course meal and entertainment, including a live band and an auction hosted by a celebrity auctioneer.
During the 25th anniversary year, the Worshipful Company hopes to raise at least an extra £25,000 for its charity fund which makes grants to support the advancement of education and training within the industry. There are opportunities to advertise in the programme for the evening as well as sponsorship of individual elements.
Tickets are available at £98.50 per head or tables of 10 for £900. Please contact Junior Warden, Maureen Marden, to reserve your tickets by calling mobile 07785 700 523 or email maureenmarden@btconnect.com.
