Cleaning firm supports NEETs through apprenticeships

One of the largest commercial cleaning companies in London is harnessing the power of apprenticeships to help people either escape unemployment or climb up the career ladder.

London-based Regular Cleaning has over 1,300 colleagues across multiple locations and its Service Support Centre in Lewisham.

The family-owned business has grown significantly in recent years and has a strong belief in offering career progression opportunities, particularly through apprenticeships.

Working with Realise Training Group, Regular Cleaning has around five apprentices on its books at any one time, studying programmes including Level 2 Administration Support, Level 2 Customer Service Specialist and Level 3 Learning and Development Practitioner.

The cleaning operator also partners with Circle Collective, a London-based charity and social enterprise which supports unemployed young people to gain the skills, experience and confidence to find sustainable employment and financial independence.

And now Regular Cleaning has vowed to support more young people over the next year by signing Realise’s Future Talent Employer Pledge.

The pledge campaign is tackling youth unemployment by calling on businesses to take on a young apprentice (aged 16-24) in the next 12 months.

Hayley Key, People Development Manager at Regular Cleaning, said: “One of our pillars is putting people first. For us that’s not just something we talk about – it runs through the heart of the business.

“Apprenticeships are an important part of that. We have been working with Realise for around four years, giving our people the chance to grow and develop new skills, such as customer service, business administration or human resources.

“We find that our people grow in confidence when they take an apprenticeship. For our cleaning operatives, for example, the way they communicate with our customers is vastly improved.

“We have a fantastic relationship with Realise. They are passionate about what they do and are always there to help. Joining the Realise Future Talent Employer Pledge was a no-brainer as it aligns to what we are trying to do as a business – to give people opportunities for growth.”

Circle Collective project pairs young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) with suitable employers. Regular Cleaning currently has Paige, who is completing her Level 2 Customer Service apprenticeship with Realise.

Key said: “Circle Collective is a fantastic programme and is really helping young people to escape the cycle of unemployment. Paige is working with one of our prestigious clients and the apprenticeship has already boosted her confidence when dealing with the customer. It’s great to see.”

Regular Cleaning is also working with charity St Mungo’s to explore ways of supporting people out of homelessness and into employment.

Karen Matthews, Director of Business Skills at Realise, said: “We are delighted that Regular Cleaning has become the latest company to join our Realise Future Talent Employer Pledge, joining companies like Wickes, Selco, Computacentre and Greater Anglia. 

“Many companies talk about being a people first business, but Regular Cleaning put that into practice by giving employees genuine progression opportunities. The work it is doing to help NEETs into the workplace is also inspirational.

“With over a million people in the UK aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training, it’s vitally important that more businesses take responsibility and back our young people through apprenticeships.”

For more information, please follow this link.