A Midlands-based training company has launched a new apprenticeship standard to help healthcare sector workers tackle the extra cleaning demands created by COVID-19.

PTP Training, which trades as Performance Through People, is constantly arranging and running hundreds of apprenticeship contracts for learners at employers across the region.

The company’s new apprenticeship will assist training in the cleaning of premises and equipment at a range of healthcare organisations including hospitals and care homes, doctors and dental surgeries, and healthcare settings within prisons and schools.

The apprenticeship standard has been called the “healthcare cleaning operative”, and the training is relevant to a wide range of job titles including care hygiene operatives, cleaning services operatives, domestic assistants and housekeepers.

Richard Weightman, a manager at PTP Training who is heading the initiative, said: “We have added this new apprenticeship standard to our portfolio in response to the current pandemic and due to the healthcare sector being a large part of our business.

“This new scheme of training will enable the apprentice to help provide a hygienic and clean healthcare environment where all service users, staff and other users can thrive, work and develop.

“We know that healthcare and hygiene environments require specific attention to infection control, safety and sanitation for the health and wellbeing of service users.

“This includes a range of both public and private sector environments that require high levels of cleanliness to avoid the growth of bacteria and the spread of diseases and viruses.”

Mr Weightman explained that the new standard also covers roles in large childcare settings where cleaning staff might be responsible for deep cleans, and cleaning equipment and children’s toys.

He said that other areas included leisure facilities where the operatives needed to clean areas like the poolside and changing rooms, and large first aid facilities in establishments like airports.

Mr Weightman added: “This apprenticeship must be for those in roles solely aimed at cleaning such areas and they must be able to achieve the full breadth of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to successfully complete this standard.”

PTP Training Ltd is part of the BCTG Group, a West Midlands-based training organisation which supports almost 10,000 young people and adults each year.

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For further information, please contact:  

Gill Durkin, business development director, PTP Training, Essex Terrace, Intown, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 1SQ. Telephone: 03332 408302 Email: gilld@ptp-training.co.uk Website: www.ptp-training.co.uk

Prepared and issued by Steve Dyson of ASAP PR – 01789 490786.

Note to editors:

PTP Training Ltd is part of the BCTG Group, a West Midlands-based training organisation which supports almost 10,000 young people and adults each year.

The group has ten sites in Birmingham, the Black Country, Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and also includes The Apprenticeship Works, BCTG Ltd, Eurosource Solutions and Further Training.

Overall, the group offers 166 different types of apprenticeship, 84 different adult upskilling and reskilling courses and 27 pre-apprenticeship programmes for 16 to 18-year-olds. These include everything from healthcare and early years care to construction, engineering, manufacturing and logistics, through to business skills in IT, management and team leading.