New guild master:

“More appreciation for cleaning staff”

Valentin Sicher (54) from Kühnsdorf is the new Carinthian guild master for Carinthian façade and building cleaners. He spoke to the "Krone" newspaper about change and the importance of an industry that makes us feel good. 

Believe it or not, without the efforts of our cleaning staff, public life would come to a standstill. Cleanliness is not only a decisive feel-good factor, but also a key factor for health - something that was made particularly clear during Corona.

"The times when cleaning was seen as an easy way to earn money or as a way out when nothing else worked are over," says Valentin Sicher, the new guild master of the "Chemical Trades & Monument, Facade and Building Cleaners" section of the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce.

Valentin Sicher is also Managing Director of Stutzig & Hacker Süd GmbH.(Bild: Stutzig & Hacker)

Upgrading through apprenticeship
Sicher is also an apprentice and master examiner for the cleaning technician apprenticeship: "Even though the industry has gained in prestige thanks to the upgrading of the job description, there is hardly any appreciation of the skilled workers in society. That has to change." The training itself is anything but superficial - professional handling of machines, hygiene and environmental regulations, application of cleaning techniques for the care and restoration of various surfaces are just part of the curriculum.

25 years in the cleaning industry 
Sicher himself has been working as a manager in the industry for more than 25 years. In 2024, he took over the Styria and Carinthia regions as Managing Director of the newly founded Stutzig & Hacker Süd GmbH. Stutzig & Hacker is an Austria-wide family business with ten locations and 250 employees.