ISS has unveiled a pioneering Culture, Race and Ethnicity (CRE) leadership apprenticeship programme aimed at equipping diverse employees with the tools, confidence and insights needed to manage modern facilities. The initiative merges existing leadership and management apprenticeship standards at Levels 3, 5, and 7 with a new ILM-assured CRE certificate, offering a structured pathway for career progression and development.

Designed for immersive learning, the programme blends self-awareness, peer collaboration and structured leadership modules to prepare participants for complex workplace dynamics. Apprentices will focus on identity, purpose, and cultural empowerment while benefiting from cross-functional collaboration, knowledge sharing and networking across the organisation.

Rebecca Jeffs, Chief People Officer at ISS UK & Ireland, emphasised that the apprenticeship strengthens an inclusive environment where employees can lead authentically. The initiative builds on ISS’s commitment to equity, representation and cultivating leaders capable of driving meaningful change.

Learnmore, ISS’s training partner, brings expertise from its Women in Leadership programmes to the development of this CRE apprenticeship. Faith Mills, Commercial Director at Learnmore, highlighted the collaborative effort in designing the programme and expressed enthusiasm for supporting participants through their learning journey.

The first cohort of eligible ISS employees will start in November 2025, covering three tiers: Level 3 for team leaders, Level 5 for operations managers, and Level 7 for strategic senior leaders.

ISS’s approach offers a replicable model for embedding cultural empowerment into leadership development while reinforcing the business case for inclusive talent pipelines and authentic representation at all levels.

Explore the full details and see how this programme could shape the next generation of leadership.