Custodians have an easy job, right? Sweep and mop the hallways, take out the trash, clean the bathrooms, dust; most of that seems pretty simple (even though the bathroom part might not be everyone's cup o' tea). So, why on earth would you attend a trade school to become a custodian? It seems as though a week's worth of on-the-job training would suffice. Actually, there are a lot of good reasons why custodians go to trade school to learn their trade.
Facilities Maintenance Training, Because a Janitor Does More Than Clean
The problem here is, you are confusing janitor with custodian. A janitor simply cleans, while a custodian takes care of everything in a facility. The custodian, in addition to janitorial duties, will also be responsible for fixing things. That includes everything from plumbing to boilers to cooling systems to small engine repair (e.g., lawn mowers for mowing the grass around the facility require maintenance as well). All of this training is covered in coursework at a trade school so that when a facility hires a custodian the facility does not have to do extensive training with the custodian.
Work Safety Training, Because There Are Tons of Dangerous Things in This Job
Custodians and janitors both will come into contact with blood, bodily fluids, fecal matter, and vomit (from time to time). They need to know how to recognize the extreme dangers of these work-related hazards and protect themselves in the course of their daily tasks. Work safety training at a trade school discusses bloodborne pathogens and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as other hazards. Other hazards include injuries caused by some of the tools and tasks that a custodian may be required to perform that could result in serious injury.
Sometimes first aid training may be part of work safety training. However, first aid training is often separate, and not always required. It is still a good idea to take the first aid training from the standpoint that a custodian can then give him/herself first aid if anything untoward should occur.
Job Security, Because a Facility Would Rather Hire Someone with Certification
If you are a custodian with two years' experience, and you are up against a custodian who is a graduate of a trade school program in facilities maintenance training, which do you think the company will hire? More often than not, the company will hire the educated person over the experienced person. If you want job security as a custodian, get the certification or degree first.
