Caretaker
Check and repair buildings like schools, community centres and flats so they are safe and clean for people who use them.
Also known as: janitor
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£308
Entry level
£423
Experienced
Monthly
£1,333
Entry level
£1,833
Experienced
Yearly
£16,000
Entry level
£22,000
Experienced
4,300
people are currently employed
Low growth
100 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would look after buildings such as schools, community centres and flats. You’d check the buildings and arrange repairs and cleaning so they are safe and well-maintained for the people who use them.
You would:
Supervise cleaning staff
Do day-to-day maintenance and minor repairs
Book contractors to do major repairs
Check that heating, lighting and alarm systems work
Order fuel, cleaning materials, new equipment and furniture
You’d open the building in the morning and lock it at the end of the day or evening.
You’d arrange the chairs and tables for meetings and clear them away afterwards. If rooms are available for hire then you’d take the bookings for them.
When the building is shut you’d check that the doors and windows are locked. You’d try to prevent vandalism or break-ins.
If you work at a school you might also drive the school minibus to take pupils out on educational trips. The pupils may call you the ‘jannie’.
You could also work as a mobile caretaker and be responsible for buildings at several different locations.
You’d need to understand health and safety regulations, and security and hygiene issues.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- problem solving
- building relationships
- cooperating
- attention to detail
- developing a plan
- managing resources
- taking initiative
- time management
Your skills are important
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Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Practical Craft Skills
No formal qualifications are required.
Most employers value a good general education.
A driving licence is sometimes an advantage.
It helps if you have skills such as joinery, plumbing or electrical work.
You may need to pass a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Disclosure check for some jobs.
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