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Sir Alan Sugar knew what he was doing when he challenged his two teams of aspiring apprentices to run a commercial laundry according to Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for fashion and textiles. “Forget the more obvious sales and service led tasks,” says Head of Qualifications and Standards Jamie Petrie. “Running a commercial laundry is a real challenge requiring a combination of complex skills, business acumen and a real team ethos.”

 

In the second episode of BBC1’s long awaited Apprentice, the two teams battled it out to win the task of managing a laundry business for the day. The suited and booted wannabe business tycoons had to roll their sleeves up and get down and dirty with the shirts and sheets in a bid to win the challenge by working through the night to deliver their clients’ smalls washed and pressed the next day.   

 

Jamie Petrie continues: “The laundry sector is often overlooked as a career option but despite the reality TV take on the business the Apprentice showed that it is a satisfying and skilled workplace that suits people who enjoy working as a team to meet tight deadlines and have a flair for problem solving.”

 

It was clear that Renaissance - the male wannabe apprentices thrived in the environment of a laundry and they demonstrated all of the attributes that a good laundry operative needs – good organisation, good communication but most of all a good team player. But where the boys flourished the girls (from the team Alpha) failed. They didn’t get to grips with the accurate timing and pricing needed to succeed showing that there is a great deal of planning and organisation involved with managing a commercial laundry and that it’s by no means an easy option. 

 

The UK’s laundry and dry cleaning industry contributes £850 million to the economy and offers its employees many prospects and a very rewarding career. Since 2007 the opportunities within this industry have vastly increased. Thanks to Skillfast-UK employees are now able to gain nationally recognised NVQ level 2 qualifications in laundry operations and laundry service and support through to advance Level 3 qualifications in maintenance and engineering. 

 

Linda Florance, the Chief Executive of Skillfast-UK added: “Last night’s Apprentice was a great way to showcase the laundry industry and demonstrate the many skills this buoyant sector needs. I hope the show will offer people a different view of this industry. Skillfast-UK is always keen to promote the opportunities available and we hope that more people will consider the laundry and dry cleaning industry as a viable career option.”

 

Anyone wanting to find out more about a career in laundry and dry cleaning can visit Skillfast-UK’s website www.skillfast-uk.org/justthejob for more information.