Clean up for a skilled trade

New training regulations for industrial cleaners

Whether it's office buildings, industrial facilities, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, rest homes or care institutions - you need professionals for cleaning and disinfecting rooms and facilities.

Industrial cleaners are trained to provide this extensive range of cleaning work. They know how to deal with all types of soiling. Even specific areas such as façades are cleaned with appropriate equipment and subject to strict safety measures in the process.

On behalf of the Federal Government, and together with the relevant Federal ministries and social partners and experts from company practice, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has comprehensively updated this vocational education and training for industrial cleaners. The new training regulation enters into force on 1 August 2019.

The revision of the three-year training occupation incorporates technical, commercial and organisational changes and developments in the skilled trade of the industrial cleaner. For example, measurements for calculating areas and costs are now made using digital tools. Another reason for the update is sustainability.

Industrial cleaners must have an understanding of alternative cleaning processes and in this way are able to contribute to reducing the environmental impact. This also includes the treatment and maintenance of surfaces damaged by soiling. The formation of the new training regulation is also competency-based and it is structured in line with work and business processes typical of the occupation.

In 2018, 885 young people concluded a new training agreement in the occupation of industrial cleaner. The employment prospects for trainees are good. Following the training, a further qualification as master craftsman in industrial cleaning can be added.

On 1 August 2019, the updated training regulation and the framework curriculum aligned with this, which has been developed by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs for the school-based section of the dual vocational education and training, will replace the existing regulation of 1999.

In order to support vocational training practice, an implementation aid is currently being developed by the BIBB in coordination with occupational experts as part of the "Structuring training" series.


Source: bibb.de (press release of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training), revised by iMOVE, October 2019