DATES FOR THE
FM DIARY
17-19 MAY 2022
www.facilitiesshow.com
02-04 NOVEMBER 2021
The Cleaning Show 2021
ExCeL, London
https://cleaningshow.co.uk/london
04-05 NOVEMBER 2021
Workspace Design Show
Business Design Centre, London
https://workspaceshow.co.uk
16-17 NOVEMBER 2021
WORKTECH21 London
Export Building, Republic
https://bit.ly/3EAp4Fy
25 NOVEMBER 2021
Now hiring! Overcoming the challenge
of recruiting for so’ services
FMJ & Moneypenny Webinar
https://bit.ly/3pZXq0D
24-25 NOVEMBER 2021
EMEX 2021
ExCeL, London
www.emexlondon.com
24-25 JANUARY 2022
FM Forum
Radisson Hotel, Heathrow, London
www.facilitiesmanagementforum.co.uk
22 FEBRUARY 2022
Workplace Futures Conference
One Great George Street, London, SW1
www.workplace-futures.co.uk
01-02 MARCH 2022
Workplace & Facilities Expo
RDS Dublin, Ireland
www.workplaceandfacilitiesexpo.com
23-24 MARCH 2022
World Workplace Europe
Hybrid Event
https://worldworkplaceeurope.ifma.org/
NOVEMBER 2021 7
Building
engineering
‘crucial’ to
COP26 pledges
says trade body
The 2021 United Nations
Climate Conference (COP26)
will need to prioritise
decarbonising buildings to
achieve their wider climate
change goals according to
the Building Engineering
Services Association (BESA).
The Association has
drafted a ‘manifesto’ for
the conference, which
highlights the role of the
built environment as both
polluter and potential source
of climate change mitigation
solutions, and includes a
‘wish list’ of follow-up
actions.
Seventy-four per cent of
respondents to a BESA survey
said COP26 would be a ‘game
changer’ for the building
engineering industry and
81 per cent said it would
increase business.
BESA Chief Executive
Offi cer David Frise said:
“The built environment is
responsible for more than 40
per cent of global emissions
so we all need to step up to
the challenge, but equally,
we must be part of the
conversation.
“Our responsibility as
building services engineers
is to work on the detail
of delivering the vision
that emerges from the
Glasgow meeting. Political
leaders can’t be expected
to understand all of the
technical details and without
achievable plans, their vision
will fail.”
BESA believes COP26
can be a catalyst for
greater investment in built
environment measures
and create a moral
context for sustainability
including delivering the UK
government’s ‘levelling up’
agenda.
However, it said national
governments should consult
industry bodies who can help
them with the delivery of
specifi c solutions and avoid
creating regulation that leads
to unforeseen consequences.
BCC WARNS OF SEVERE STAFF
SHORTAGES FACING THE CLEANING
AND HYGIENE INDUSTRY
The cleaning and hygiene industry is suŠ ering “severe”
staŠ shortages with the rate of vacancies having increased
dramatically, according to a new survey carried out by the British
Cleaning Council (BCC).
As one of the UK’s biggest industries recruitment problems within the
sector could hamper the nation’s recovery from COVID-19, says the BCC
warning that the healthcare sector was “heading for disaster” and that
transport, leisure and food hygiene, amongst many other sectors, could
also be badly hit.
Some of the cleaning and hygiene industry’s biggest firms took part in
the BCC survey. Between them, the 11 firms reported 1,917 vacancies in
total, with one firm saying the number of vacancies had increased by 252
per cent in the last six months, and another by 267 per cent.
The majority of companies taking part reported staƒ leaving because
they were foreign nationals going home or were employees moving to
other jobs, such as truck driving or in hospitality. Until now, the cleaning
and hygiene industry has depended on employees of all nationalities and
overseas workers are proving diƒ icult to replace.
The BCC, which began raising concerns two years ago about the possible
impact on the industry as a result of planned changes to immigration rules
is now calling for the Government to take urgent action to help it recruit
the staƒ it needs.
According to BCC Chairman Jim Melvin, who is also Group CEO at major
cleaning contractor, The Exclusive Services Group, the scale of the issue
has not been acted upon.
He said: “Either the Government doesn’t know the scale of the problem
the cleaning industry is facing or they don’t realise the potential hygiene
issues that may be realised as a result. Firms all across the sector cannot
get the staƒ they need and given the triple eƒ ect of the Immigration Act,
Brexit and the pandemic, it is arguably unprecedented.
“During the pandemic, we’ve seen how essential good standards of
cleanliness and hygiene are to protecting the public from the most recent
virus, and now that is being threatened because we are struggling to
recruit the staƒ to do the work.”
“We are urgently calling on the Government to work with us
unequivocally to ensure that we have a short-term solution to recruitment
of staƒ issues, whilst we also work closely together to ensure that there is
a clear skills pathway to ensure the industry becomes an attractive career
choice.”
The average vacancy rate across all 11 firms taking part in the BCC
survey was almost 7.9 per cent but two firms reported vacancy rates of 12
per cent or more and one had a rate of 16.8 per cent. Another company
said that there had been 99 resignations in the last six months.
FMJ.CO.UK NEWS & ANALYSIS
/www.facilitiesshow.com
/london
/workspaceshow.co.uk
/3EAp4Fy
/3pZXq0D
/www.emexlondon.com
/www.facilitiesmanagementforum.co.uk
/www.workplace-futures.co.uk
/www.workplaceandfacilitiesexpo.com
/
