Custodians & Building Service Workers

Support Roles in Maintenance

School custodians clean and maintain the upkeep and safety of schools and district facilities. They secure the district’s facilities by locking doors, securing windows and setting the security system. They may work shifts in the morning, evening, weekends, or overnight.

A custodian’s work is often independent; they also work with maintenance and facilities department staff, school district employees, students, and the public.

Custodians perform routine cleaning, which includes: vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, waxing hallways burnishing or polishing floors and stairways, dusting and wiping furniture, disinfecting washrooms, kitchen areas and replenishing supplies, among others.

They may also assist districts from minor repairs to major renovations of school buildings, grounds and equipment.  Custodians also help students, staff, and the public by moving furniture, setting up equipment, providing facility information.

On occasion, custodians may handle minor emergencies and problems, such as shutting-off water, performing minor emergency repairs, and unplugging.

The position titles of school custodian and building service worker are used interchangeably among districts to describe the same role.  Example job titles of custodians and building service workers:

• School Custodian
• Building Service Worker
• Janitor

Qualifications and Certification Details

In addition to strength, stamina, and the ability to perform the physical tasks of this role, custodians working in school districts may require:

• a Building Service Worker Certificate or equivalent combination of training and experience;
• knowledge or certification in Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS);
• a BC driver’s licence;
• First Aide certification;
• also a Grade 10 education.

For specialized roles, school districts may require additional qualifications, such as a certificate in power engineering, and boiler operation. Trades qualifications are required for all TQ Trades positions.

Because custodians take direction from supervisors and district staff, proficiency in English is required.  From time to time, custodians communicate with students and the public, so good interpersonal and communications skills are assets.

Salary

Custodians and Building Service Workers are ‘Support Staff’ in BC’s K-12 Education Sector, and are members of their local support staff union. The terms of employment, including hours of work, will vary depending on the district, the collective agreement, and the type of position held by the employee.

The following are salary estimates based on data from July 1, 2017. Salaries and hourly rates vary from district to district.

Custodians working in permanent continuing roles are members of the local support staff union. The employee benefits they receive are outlined each district’s collective agreement. Those hired in non-permanent on-call roles receive an hourly rate plus an added percentage in lieu (instead) of benefits. On-call employees are also referred to as substitute, relief, spare board, or casual.

For example, if a job posting for an on-call role states a wage rate of $19.93 plus 11% in lieu of benefits, the total wage rate paid is $22.12 ($19.93 + (11% of $19.93)].

Training and Educational Programs

The following is a list of Custodian and Building Service Worker Training Programs in British Columbia

Employment Opportunities

Find janitor, custodian, and building service worker jobs on Makeafuture.ca under the ‘support’ position category.

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