After retiring from a long career as a plumbing and heating engineer, and later as a consultant managing buildings for an environmental firm, Jeff thought his working life was behind him.
However, once his projects at home were complete, he realised he wanted to stay active and give back to the community by sharing his skills with the younger generation. That’s when he discovered TIB Services, the UK’s only specialist school site staffing service.
In Jeff’s search, he found TIB Services and decided to become a school caretaker — a rewarding role he had never considered before.
It allowed him to leverage his decades of trade experience to make a meaningful difference to the community while working in a flexible capacity. "If you come from a trade background, you can use your transferable skills in a school environment, whether it be for fixing things or [...] maintaining safety for the children.," Jeff explains.
One of the key benefits of working with TIB Services for Jeff is the flexibility it offers. For many candidates, the ability to pick and choose jobs that fit around personal commitments makes school caretaking a highly attractive option. It allows candidates like Jeff the opportunity to stay active without sacrificing their personal time.
"TIB does fit in with me and my personal life," Jeff says. "At the moment, I only do three days a week, which, at my age, I appreciate."
But more than that, Jeff has found social connections post-retirement. "By being a part of a school site team, I found companionship," he shares. "Once you retire out of the working environment, it's very lonely. It can be very lonely. But I found companionship with the school, and built a rapport with them and thoroughly enjoyed it."