How to bring more young people into the cleaning industry

We have all the ingredients to engage youth — let’s start following a recipe!

Words: Kelsey Hargreaves

When I first moved out into my own place, I was living off the bare minimum. I was 18 and, like many people of that age, my money wasn’t spent on nutritious meals but on socialising or an obscene number of Amazon Prime orders. I remember talking to my grandma on the phone about what I’d eaten the night before – cheesy scrambled egg and bacon followed by a bowl of plain pasta. After laughing, she stopped and said: “Why didn’t you just make something nice like a carbonara?”

Such an idea was beyond me, but I have since learned that pasta, bacon, cheese and an egg are all you need to make a carbonara – who knew? (Apart from my gran, obviously.)

At the BICSc Exhibition and Industry Insights Conference I spoke about what we are missing as an industry when it comes to youth employment. We, as an industry, do not lack the ingredients – the opportunities and careers – of winning over a new generation but we don’t always understand how to use  those ingredients.

So here it is, my five-step recipe for getting more young people into the cleaning industry:

  1. Understand the needs of young people and be active in our response

We need to start by making sure we understand the needs of young people today. In the UK, the Youth Voice Census was released last September, providing a unique insight to the struggles, experiences and concerns of the next generation. It is clear that young people are worried about a scarcity of job opportunities and housing. They also feel that the systems around them have failed them and that they are always having to “play catch up”.

These insights should be utilised by potential educators and employers to create a better environment for the young people they want to employ or young workers they wish to retain. 

  1. Learn where to shout in the right places

While we are very vocal within our industry in specialised magazines, social media accounts and events, that noise doesn’t always cut through to young people outside of the industry.

To reach that new generation, we need to go to the places where young people are looking. Find out where schools, colleges, universities and local governments are pushing younger people to apply for careers. Become not only an option for the new generation, but also a known option.

  1. Learn to shout positively

We need to speak positively about our experiences. The cleaning industry is not always seen as a positive option for young people. We can change the dialogue. I often talk and write about my reasons for staying in the industry. Share your stories and use your own reasons as inspiration to bring people on board.

Share pictures of your incredible teams, show the ‘family’ you have in your business. Let’s highlight the exciting parts of the careers we have!

  1. Speak the same language

Ever read a job advertisement and thought “I have no idea what that means, I’m not applying”? We can be seen to be an innovative, intelligent industry without the overuse of technical jargon. It requires more intelligence to make difficult information accessible than to use complex technical jargon with no explanation. Read your job ads. Are you explaining the job in language the applicant will only understand if they have already been trained by you? 

Of course, the other side of this is that we need to understand the language young people are using and the way they have been taught. Only this way can we change our approach to the younger generation and advertise appropriately.

  1. Use our experience to include, not exclude

At the age of 26, I am not going to have the experience of many of you reading this article. Should I be penalised for that? Absolutely not. Do I respect each of you for the hard work you have done? Absolutely yes. Do I look up to you as role models for my career in the industry? Yes. Should I be made to feel inferior because my age means I have a lot less experience? No. 

I have been fortunate to work with and under some of the best managers I could have asked for. My growth and development has come from their ability to share their experiences with me and allowed me to benefit from the lessons they have learned. 

The age-old paradox of needing experience for a job but not being able to get experience is still a common issue. Why not change that? Understand what experience you have and use it effectively.

There is certainly a lack of experience in those young people applying in our job market. But experience is not what happens to you, experience is what you do with what happens to you. Share your experience, utilise the knowledge you have from it.

Remember, your greatest struggles can become someone else’s greatest strengths. 

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash


Nominate Exceptional Talent for ISSA’s Inaugural Emerging Leaders Awards!
In recent years, ISSA has witnessed an increase of new talent throughout the cleaning industry. There’s no better time than right now to recognise these young rising stars and encourage them to take our future to new heights!

Do you know an individual with outstanding potential and a drive for innovation within the cleaning industry? Then it’s time to nominate your rising stars for the ISSA Emerging Leaders Awards.

Elevate their career and contribute to the industry’s growth by putting forth your brightest talents for consideration. Submit your nomination today and help shape the next generation of industry pioneers!

Your submission will be reviewed by our committee, and those selected will be notified by 1 October 2024.

Nominations close 31 July 2024.


About the author:

Kelsey Hargreaves is a technical specialist and youth ambassador for BICSc. She has written and spoken extensively about the best ways to make the cleaning industry more appealing to younger people.

Resource:

 The Youth Voice Census 2023
www.youthemployment.org.uk

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