GM Sending Its Janitors to Maintenance School

General Motors Corp. wants its janitors to move “out of the broom closet” and into the high-tech age, so it’s sending its maintenance people to school.

“There is a correlation between maintaining a clean environment and producing a quality product,” Robert Price, a GM industrial engineer, said.

GM said it employs 13,000 workers in industrial cleaning in 160 plants at a cost of $500 million each year. It plans to put 2,000 to 3,000 janitors annually through a five-day course that includes instruction on chemical safety, carpet and hard-floor care and business management.