The Cleaning and Hygiene Council 
of Australia(CHCA) has announced a board initiative in conjunction with ‘Life. Be in it.’. It promotes education and training to help disadvantaged people secure employment in the cleaning industry. CHCA chairman Terry Fraser reports.
Following initial meetings at the formation sessions with the CHCA board, there has been substantial progress in relationships between the boards of ‘Life. Be in it.’ and the Australian cleaning industry.
Dr Colin Benjamin OAM has met with representatives of the Associations that come under the umbrella of the CHCA board and the Lennox Institute to explore avenues for promoting education and training for disadvantaged people to enter the cleaning industry, including the development of Critical Performance Requirements.
Dr Benjamin has advised CHCA that the Commonwealth Government is exploring a pilot Jobs NOW programme to provide units of the Certificate II with the assistance of the CHCA education sub-committee in the Cairns, Western Sydney and Northern Tasmanian Regional Development Australia (RDA) catchments.
If successful, this would be extended to all of the 55 RDAs following intense planning and participation of many of the companies that are members of the Associations represented by CHCA. Following an initial four week boot camp that will cover some of the Cleaning II Course units, Employability Skills and Security Clearances, trainees will be eligible to take up work experience placements that may lead to engagement in the industry on a part-time or full time basis.
Colin and Elaine Torode, Convener of the CHCA education sub-committee, representing the industry RTOs, have joined together to consider the responses to the survey of requirements that will provide a solid platform for approaches to government to raise the standards of required performance in contracted cleaning provision.
Paul Fraser, ‘Life. Be in it.’ national training manager has agreed to work with the industry to develop curriculum support and training materials for job seekers who may be encouraged to undertake units of accredited training in conjunction with the ‘Life. Be in it.’ Health Promotions Institute, Lennox Institute and the YWCA Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).
It is anticipated that the first courses will commence in Western Sydney before the end of this financial year after government philanthropic and employer support has been confirmed.