Browsing by Author "Määttä, Jenni"

Aims. Cleaning work is practical work, meaning identification of professional competence cannot be based on written tests but must be based actual performance of practical tasks. The aim of this Master's thesis was to identify the main skills in professional maintenance cleaning and to define levels of skill within various levels of ability. The aim was to create a tool for employee and supervisors which can be used to identify employee skills through practical work tasks. Methods. The study was carried out in two different cleaning service companies. Features of process analysis, collaborative planning and stimulated recall methods were applied to the research. Classification of the key skills in maintenance cleaning was based on the views of the companies' trainers, as well as a questionnaire which was answered by supervisors. The skill level descriptions were produced as part of the companies' training programs, and the expertise and experience of the participants were also utilized. In the last step the skill matrix was piloted with employees and its usability in skill identification was evaluated. Results and conclusions. According to the results, 14 different skills were identified as the main skills of maintenance cleaning. They were classified as management of processes and working methods, maintaining working capacity and general professional skills. A theory with four levels was developed to represent the different skill levels: the novice's skills are defined as random, the apprentice's as repetitive, the journeyman's as applicable and the master's as skills developed through work. To reach the master skill level both theoretical knowledge and practical experience are required. To allow for the identification of knowledge, skill matrices were produced for the employee as well as for the supervisor. The matrices can be used as a part of induction and also in training.