How Policing Skills Apply to School Caretaking
Former police officers make excellent school caretakers, bringing valuable skills in security, problem-solving, and emergency response. Their experience in vigilance and risk assessment ensures schools remain safe, well-maintained environments where staff and students can focus on learning.
Beyond maintenance, school caretakers play a key role in site security, health and safety compliance, and handling unexpected situations. A former police officer’s ability to stay calm under pressure and take decisive action makes them well-suited to the role, providing reassurance to the entire school community.
Here’s how skills developed through policing transfer to school environments:
Why School Caretaker Roles Are Ideal for Ex-Police Officers
For those looking for a hands-on, purposeful role after policing, school caretaking offers the opportunity to make a real impact while continuing to serve and protect in a new way.
Chris Brown served 30 years in the police force and is now one of our Vetting & Safeguarding Specialists interviewing new caretaker candidates. He shares:
“I’ve heard a number of police and emergency services say that they want to continue to give back to the community and get back into some part-time work, and they find that really rewarding. I think that’s one of the most important things and one of the reasons they give us for applying for these roles.”
Rob, one of our excellent caretakers, sums it up perfectly:
"You're stepping into a school to support children's learning and growth. I truly believe that every time I’ve worked at a school, I’ve made a real impact because they truly appreciate the work you do."
Another of the main benefits that our existing caretakers appreciate is the flexibility of working with TIB Services. All our candidates can pick and choose the assignments they work on - both full-time and part-time opportunities - allowing them to set their own work-life balance.
