DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) announced educational collaborations with local institutions to prepare the current and future workforce for careers, and was recently recognized for safety performance. The company and its philanthropic arm, The Baxter International Foundation, also announced their 2013 charitable giving.
Addressing Critical Needs Globally
Baxter and its philanthropic arm, The Baxter International Foundation, make financial and in-kind donations to address critical community needs globally, including increasing access to healthcare, improving education and helping developing nations and countries in crisis. In 2013, combined giving from Baxter and its Foundation totaled more than $64 million, composed of:
• More than $34 million from donations of Baxter products through donor partners and the company's U.S. patient assistance programs. Product donations helped 81 countries in need, including proactive donations for Typhoon Haiyan relief in the Philippines. Pre-positioning product helps Baxter ensure its critical products are first on the scene following disasters and tragedies, and that the company is contributing the most needed products to stabilize supply in developing economies and meeting ongoing needs in underserved communities.
• More than $27 million from Baxter's businesses and facilities to address critical local needs in more than 42 countries.
• Nearly $3 million from The Baxter International Foundation, including grants to increase access to healthcare worldwide, prize programs that recognize excellence in community service and healthcare research, a scholarship program that contributes to the education of Baxter employees' children, and support of employees' philanthropic efforts through the Foundation's Dollars for Doers and Matching Gifts programs. A full listing of The Baxter International Foundation grants awarded in 2013 is available at www.baxter.com/grants.
Educational Partnerships Build Life and Job Skills
Baxter’s manufacturing facility in Marion, N.C., is one of several businesses partnering with McDowell Technical Community College, Region C Workforce Development Board, and the McDowell County NC Works Office as part of their new Workforce Pipeline Committee to identify education and skill gaps and develop solutions such as apprenticeships and training to prepare the current and future workforce for local jobs.
''Today’s manufacturing environment and requirements are changing, particularly in our industry. This means that jobs remain unfilled longer as a result of a gap between the requirements and training of many potential candidates,'' said Donna Meyer, human resources director at Baxter’s manufacturing facility in Marion, N.C. ''This Committee can help bridge the gap by advancing training and educational programs that will benefit both employers and potential employees in our community.''
Many other Baxter facilities partner with local colleges and universities to offer manufacturing employees training opportunities to build life skills, such as in communication and leadership, and as well as necessary job skills to prepare for new challenges in the workplace. For example, Baxter’s Los Angeles manufacturing facility has a strong workforce development partnership with Los Angeles Valley College to provide customized training for current employees and help recruit new manufacturing technician talent for Baxter. Baxter’s Mountain Home, Ark., plant offers BaxTech, a partnership with Arkansas State University-Mountain Home to develop manufacturing skills, and Baxter’s manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Miss., offers on-site management and general education classes through Delta State University.
Safety Program Recognized with Local Awards
Baxter China’s Guangzhou manufacturing plant is one of 12 recipients of the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development District’s (GETDD) 2013 Excellent Safety Culture Company Award for dedication to creating a safe manufacturing environment and culture. The 400 companies that participated in the competition were graded on 10 safety criteria including commitment, continuous improvement, policy and vision. The Guangzhou facility received 288 points out of 300 to receive the recognition. GETDD is one of 78 National Economic and Technological Development Districts in China.
Baxter strives to create a culture that supports health and wellness, and promoting a safe and healthy workplace is one of the company’s sustainability priorities. Every employee is responsible for achieving the company’s vision of a zero-harm workplace – a workplace in which employees go home each day as healthy as when they arrived. Baxter has several strategies and programs in place to strive to decrease the potential for injury and enhance employee wellness at its facilities globally.
Several other Baxter facilities have recently received recognition for safety including Baxter’s United Kingdom National Distribution Centre that was granted the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Occupational Health and Safety Gold Award and the British Safety Council International Safety Award, which Baxter’s Thetford, United Kingdom, facility also recently received. Baxter’s São Paulo facility in Brazil also recently received the Health and Safety Excellence Award from Sindusfarma, the union for the Pharmaceutical Products industry in the state of São Paulo.
About Baxter
Baxter's commitment to sustainability spans more than three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been recognized by Corporate Responsibility magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens and Newsweek’s Green Rankings as a leading U.S. healthcare company. Baxter is a member of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. The company endorses the Ceres principles and is an Organizational Stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative. Further information about Baxter’s sustainability activities can be found at www.sustainability.baxter.com.
Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.
