Seeing CrestClean personnel achieve an industry-recognised qualification has been one of the many career highlights for retiring Master Cleaners Training Institute CEO Adam Hodge.
Adam, who has been at the helm of the organisation since its formation in 2012, was instrumental in introducing the Certificate in Commercial Cleaning, a qualification specifically designed to meet the New Zealand cleaning industry needs.
He says innovation and skills development have been a driving factor of the training organisation, which was established by CrestClean to raise the standards and status of the cleaning industry in New Zealand.
Forming Master Cleaners Training Institute was a ground-breaking move for CrestClean, says Adam. “We decided to go out on our own to create our own systems and processes so we could deliver uniquely tailored training programmes.
“We started from scratch and began training our own people to become trainers and assessors. Today Master Cleaners Training Institute is now very well respected in the commercial cleaning industry and we get a lot enquiries about training from other organisations.
“I’m proud of where we are today and all we’ve achieved. It’s been a brilliant journey,” says Adam.
Taking over from Adam is Liezl Foxcroft, who has been appointed General Manager Training, Master Cleaners Training Institute.
“We’re very lucky to have Liezl as she has a wealth of knowledge and experience and she will take the organisation to the next level and beyond,” says Adam.
Originally from South Africa, Liezl started her career in New Zealand, training and assessing security officers, which won her the NZSA Assessor of the Year Award. Her passion for soft service contract management, has seen her work closely with some of the big names in the cleaning industry.
Liezl says it is important to promote the positive aspects of training to counter a belief that cleaning is an unskilled occupation.
“Sometimes people think when you clean you just mop the floor but there’s so much more to it than this.
“I have a passion for encouraging people to believe in themselves and be the best at what they do. I strongly believe that we need to provide them with the skills and knowledge to be able to succeed in their roles.
“The road to this success is good training – practical and theory. I believe we should be grateful, respectful and thank our cleaners, because more often than not, they are cleaning our work spaces, while we sit warm and cosy at home on a winter’s night, making it clean and ready for us to perform our jobs the next day.
“Adam leaves a legacy and has embedded training as a necessity not a luxury. I look forward to automating some of the training, with interactive online tools and helping to take MCTI to the next level.”
