[Adam Ward]

Toilet Cleaners Are 'Restroom Specialists'

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore, famous for its spotless streets, is stepping up its campaign against filth in the restroom with a training program to boost the status and skills of the city-state's toilet cleaners, a newspaper reported Thursday.
More than 50 toilet cleaners will be promoted to "restroom specialist" upon completing the three-day pilot course taught by Japanese experts in the latest toilet technology, The Straits Times reported.
The program - sponsored by the city-state's National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore-based World Toilet College - aims to boost the image and wages of professional toilet cleaners by training them to do more on the job, The Straits Times reported.
The college has flown in three top Japanese trainers to conduct the course on improving cleaning techniques and technical expertise to the initial group of 51 cleaners.

"The plan is to expand the pilot course to a 64-hour one, after which trainees will be certified as 'restroom specialists,'" the article said.
"Cleaners have low morale and low skills," the paper quoted Jack Sim, the World Toilet College's founder, as saying. "We want to professionalize them and teach them to be proud of their jobs."
Sim said he plans to train all 5,000 toilet cleaners in the tiny city-state and raise their average monthly wage to 950 Singapore dollars (US$598), from the previous 750 Singapore dollars (US$472).
This cleanliness-obsessed nation has launched a number of campaigns to improve the city-state's toilets.

In November last year, the government released new guidelines for public toilet usage to cut down on long lines at women's restrooms. It has also published maps to Singapore's 500 cleanest public toilets, and awarded "five-star" or "Happy Toilet" ratings to those with spic-and-span interiors.

[Sheri]

When I first started reading this I chuckled, but then changed my mind. Not funny, but a great idea. Giving low level workers a chance to learn new skills, have a new title, feel a little pride in what they are doing, and raise their minimum wage. Sounds like a great plan.

Plus, it's too bad more countries don't work as hard at cleanliness. Lord knows I've walked into a few bathrooms that could have used a "restroom specialist".