Te Aroha College
Caretaker Kaitautiaki
Caretakers keep places such as schools, apartment blocks and public buildings clean, safe and in good order.
Caretakers may do some or all of the following:
- maintain grounds, facilities and gardens
- clean buildings and dispose of rubbish
- operate boilers and furnaces used for heating
- make minor repairs and organise contractors for major repairs
- oversee security.
Physical Requirements
Caretakers need to be reasonably fit as some jobs may involve lifting heavy objects, bending or climbing.
Useful Experience
Useful experience for caretakers includes:
- work in the trades, especially carpentry
- manual labour
- cleaning or maintenance work
- experience working with children or teenagers (for caretakers in schools).
Personal Qualities
Caretakers need to:
- be self-directed and able to work unsupervised
- have good time management skills
- be good at problem solving
- like working outside
- be reliable.
Caretakers who work at schools must be able to relate well to children.
Skills
Caretakers need to have knowledge of:
- how to use and maintain tools and equipment
- basic repair skills
- how to look after plants and lawns
- what to do in emergencies
- alarms and security systems.
Those who manage larger facilities may need to have basic computing and administrative skills.
Conditions
Caretakers:
- may work full time or part time, and may need to work evenings and weekends or be on call
- work at locations such as schools, apartment buildings, sports grounds and commercial properties
- work indoors and outdoors in most weather conditions.
Subject Recommendations
There are no specific secondary education requirements to become a caretaker.
Related Courses
Caretakers can earn around $23-$26 per hour.
Pay for caretakers varies depending on experience and what kind of work they do.
- Caretakers at schools usually earn the minimum wage and $24 per hour.
- Caretakers at schools supervising other usually earn between minimum wage and $26 an hour.
- Caretakers who work for private employers usually earn more than this.
Sources: Ministry of Education, 'School Caretakers, Cleaners and Canteen Staff Collective Agreement 14 November 2022 to 13 November 2024', 2022; and careers.govt.nz research, 2023.
Years Of Training
There are no specific requirements to become a caretaker.
Some caretaking jobs may require a police background check.
The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 means that if you have certain serious convictions, you can’t be employed in a role where you are responsible for, or work alone with, children.
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