Outstanding Achiever In The Cleaning Industry Receives Royal Approval

Robert Urquhart, a member of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, received a Livery Companies’ City & Guilds Award from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace last month.

The Awards are given in recognition of ‘Outstanding Achievement’ as a City & Guilds of London Institute learner or tutor.

Robert has been instrumental in setting up and running the cleaning workshops at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Rochester, Kent. He started work there 16 years ago where he was assigned to put together a cleaning qualification for offenders.

Since then Robert has displayed enthusiasm, passion and drive to do the best he possibly could for his learners and has never been deterred by any setbacks and barriers he has faced.

Robert has now developed the course he delivers from the BICSc qualification to the City & Guilds NVQ level 2 in cleaning and support services. Robert has gained his assessors qualification and teaching qualification in both courses.

Robert has built a good working partnership with prison staff and heads of departments, to ensure learners have access to clean different areas and types of surfaces to meet the course criteria.

Robert’s work aims to give course participants the best opportunities once they have been released from prison. He delivers the courses to a very high standard making sure the prison offers the same, if not better, quality than a traditional college.

The variety of cleaning courses on offer at the prison lays the foundations for learners to enter the cleaning industry qualified with sufficient work experience to gain employment. Robert is continuing to improve the progress for his learners by working with employers to get them employment opportunities.

The Worshipful Company’s Master, Philip Morrish, and Clerk, Maureen Marden, were in attendance to see Robert receive this recognition.

www.wc-ec.com