
As the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide, ISSA has a membership that includes more than 7,000 distributor, manufacturer, manufacturer representative, building service contractor, in-house service provider, and associated service members. ISSA helps its members and their employees make valuable contacts through the industry’s largest cleaning shows, produced in conjunction with Amsterdam RAI under the brand name ISSA/INTERCLEAN.
ISSA also helps increase members’ professionalism and success through its popular global website, www.issa.com, and by offering business tools, educational products, industry standards, publications, and legislative and regulatory services that specifically focus on the professional cleaning industry. It is through these initiatives that ISSA helps its members demonstrate the true value of clean to their varied constituents.
The association is headquartered in Northbrook, IL, USA, with regional offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Leicester, United Kingdom, Monterrey, Mexico, and Shanghai.
There are several Certifications available for your company to become an expert on effectively managed cleaning, green cleaning, sustainability, and protecting human health.
Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS)
CIMS is the first consensus-based management standard that outlines the primary characteristics of a successful, quality cleaning organization. It’s more than just a way for cleaning organizations to set themselves and their green cleaning operations apart in the marketplace. Individuals who wish to assist their customers in preparing for CIMS certification can become ISSA Certification Experts (I.C.E), while facility managers and others responsible for selecting a cleaning service provider can gain an increased level of confidence in their contractor by using CIMS and CIMS-Green Building as a powerful pre-qualification tool.
CIMS is a huge stepping stone for your cleaning organization.
CIMS ISSA Certification Experts (I.C.E)
ISSA Certification Experts are ready to provide training and consulting services to cleaning organizations interested in complying with and preparing to be certified to the Cleaning Industry Management Standard.
Training to become an ISSA Certification Expert positions an individual as an indispensable resource during tough times. As one’s customers or own organizations face budget cuts, professionals read real-life solutions to help them deal with the new challenges.
Custodial operations around the country must reduce labor budgets by 5-10 percent; these reductions cannot be accomplished by supply price decreases alone. Additionally, operational and budgetary knowledge is necessary for one to position themselves as an indispensable resource in these harsh economic times. The need to evaluate, reduce, and redeploy the workforce is the only way to meet impending budget restrictions and an industry professional can help their customers or their own organization do so by training to be a CIMS ISSA Certification Specialist.
Cleaning Industry Training Standard (CITS)
The Cleaning Industry Training Standard (CITS) program is designed to increase professionalism and demonstrate a commitment to effective training. Specifically, the program is focused on training and certifying frontline cleaning professionals, verifying training programs and training facilities to a set industry standard, and improving the skills of industry trainers through a comprehensive workshop.
The actual CITS Standard was developed through a committee-based process involving experts in all industry classes.
CITS verified training programs may only be taught by A.C. T (Accredited Certification Trainer) accredited trainers. This certificate qualifies you to train, proctor exams, and help confer certification.
Cleaning Management Institute (CMI)
CMI is one of the most recognized training and certification providers in the professional cleaning industry; Since its founding in 1963, CMI’s third-party training has certified more than 100,000 cleaning professionals worldwide. Many organizations trust and use CMI’s custodial technician training programs. Building service contractors, educational facilities, health care providers, and many more utilize CMI’s certification courses.
Clean Standard: K-12
The ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 Schools establishes a framework to help schools objectively assess the effectiveness of the cleaning process at their facilities, thereby contributing to the quality of the indoor environment for the benefit of students and staff. Based on the philosophy of “Clean, Measure, Monitor” and an emphasis on high-performance cleaning, the Clean Standard: K-12 focuses on:
- The desired levels of cleanliness that can reasonably be achieved;
- Recommended monitoring and inspection results to assess and improve cleaning;
- How to use the measurement and inspection results to assess and improve cleaning processes and products, ultimately resulting in a clean, healthy, and safe learning environment.
The standards set by ISSA are a great way to get cleaning professionals on a track to success, both financially and within the industry.