Skills Support for the Workforce
Ratcliff Cleaning Contractors Limited offer professional industrial and commercial cleaning services across the country. In order to win more contracts their employees needed to achieve a specific qualification to be able to work on large building sites.
So far 17 employees achieved the Level 2 Certificate in Cleaning and Support Services Skills.
Ratcliff Cleaning Contractors Ltd has been trading for 25 years and employs 220 staff. The company provide professional industrial and commercial cleaning services up and down the country. Their operatives needed to achieve the Level 2 Certificate in Cleaning and Support Services Skills so they could apply for the CSCS card. The CSCS card shows the individual has achieved the appropriate training and qualifications to work on site, a mandatory requirement for Ratcliff Cleaning Contractors to be able to operate on large building sites.
The training was carried out by Performance Through People, one of Serco’s trusted providers chosen to deliver the SSW programme. SSW is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency. The employees attended classroom sessions that included both theory and practical exercises over a 6-month period. As the employees work across the country, the classroom sessions were scheduled at different times to accommodate their work patterns.
Initially some of the staff were reluctant to do the training and many had not done any learning since they left school, but the training was crucial for them to be able to work on site. So far 17 employees have benefited from the training and achieved the Level 2 Certificate in Cleaning and Support Services Skills. The employees enjoyed working with the tutor who supported them to achieve the qualification. The training has boosted their confidence and they now have a better understanding of health & safety when working on construction sites.
As a result of the training, Ratcliff Cleaning Contractors can tender for more contracts now their employees have evidence they are able to work on site. Furthermore the company is keen to roll out the training as they need to increase the number of operatives who hold a CSCS card.
Please note the training took place pre-COVID.
SSW is 'FIRED UP' for National Apprenticeship Week 2020. As part of our celebration of the promise and success that Apprenticeships bring to the workplace, we are looking at 5 Key Benefits for Employers of engaging with Apprenticeships in your workplace.
We are pleased to confirm the launch of the Dorset 2020 Employer Skills Survey. Contributions from a range of organisations, from start-up and SME’s to multinationals based in Dorset, are essential in providing a full picture of the skills requirements locally. Please take a minute to complete our survey.
Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal, HOP, has launched to market enabling students, employers and residents to HOP into all the resources they need to make informed career decisions and build a future talent pipeline. SSW works closely with HOP to ensure Employers and Individuals who engage with the service are aware of funded skills training in Hertfordshire.
The Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme, delivered by Serco, has taken the bronze award at the 2019 Walsall Works Partner Awards which recognised Serco as a socially minded employer.
