ROSWELL, Ga., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark Professional™ today announced its scholarship program will fund new infectious disease awareness training for cleaning professionals to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, in the workplace. The program is in collaboration with ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a division of ISSA.

"Cleaning professionals have been our frontline heroes throughout the pandemic, and we are committed to providing them with resources to ensure the businesses they support run safely," said Susan Gambardella, President of Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. "We are delighted that our scholarship program will continue to equip small and women-owned cleaning businesses with the knowledge they need as companies practice more stringent hygiene and cleaning protocols to mitigate the risk of infectious diseases."

The new 30-minute online course, "Infectious Disease Awareness in the Workplace," will increase the participant's knowledge about infectious diseases, including how they spread and make people sick. The course covers the importance of infectious disease prevention programs and how they help with the mitigation or prevention of infectious diseases like COVID-19 in the workplace as well as regulatory compliance.

"Infectious disease knowledge continues to be in demand during and after the pandemic. As a result, cleaning for health needs to remain a priority in the built environment," said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. "Regularly offering training courses showcases to employees that your business cares about their career development and wellbeing, and enables them to better manage today's and tomorrow's biorisks."

The first 500 eligible cleaning professionals who register for the program will be able to complete the GBAC course at no cost. Building service contractors who qualify as a small business will be given priority placement into the program. The program will also award 50 percent of the scholarships to women.

To apply for the scholarship or for more information, please visit www.issa.com/kcp-scholarships.

This year's training course offering is part of the scholarship program Kimberly-Clark Professional launched in 2021 with a $500,000 donation to fund training for small and women-owned businesses around the world. To date, the initiative has provided 6,335 scholarships in 84 countries, and helped 3,900 organizations prepare their workers with GBAC-led training that helps them provide their employees and customers with a welcoming and hygienic workplace.

Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer and more productive. Key brands in this segment include Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, KleenGuard and Kimtech. To see how Kimberly-Clark Professional is helping people around the world to work better, please visit www.kcprofessional.com.

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build stronger communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response, and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial, and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address, and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization's services include biorisk management program assessment and training, infectious disease and biological material response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ Facility and Service Accreditation Programs, training and certification of individuals, and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org.

With more than 10,500 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners, and associated service members—ISSA is the world's leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Milan, Italy; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

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SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Professional