Skilled Trades

We're NEA ESPs and Proud of It!

About Us and Our Work

• 44% of us work in a school building, 27% are assigned to a central maintenance facility, 13% report to multiple sites, and 12% work districtwide.
• 18% work in a preschool, kindergarten, or elementary school; 8% in a junior high or middle school; 18% in a senior high school; 14% in a district central office; and 40% for multiple levels.
• 81% of us have job responsibilities that involve promoting school safety.
• 33% of us work with special education students.
• 93% work fulltime.
• 64% of us are male.
• 81% are married.
• Our average age is 47.
• 64% of us have attended at least some college, and 26% have a two-year college or higher degree.
• 73% of us have met specific requirements for our jobs. 46% have completed special coursework. 42% have special licenses, and 41% have special certificates.
• 26% must take examinations or courses on a regular basis to keep our positions.

We are committed: 11.8 years is the average we have been working in the ESP field. 86% of us plan to stay in the ESP field, and 62% plan to stay in our current jobs until retirement.

We are in every school: Over 46,000 skilled trades ESPs work in the nation's K-12 public schools. We make up 2% of the NEA K-12 ESP membership and 2% of the U.S. K-12 ESP work force.

Our Workplace Conditions and Issues

Our jobs need to be better defined. 13% of us do not have a job description. Among those of us who do have a job description, 38% of us think it does not accurately reflect the amount of work we do, and 18% believe it does not accurately describe what we do. 59% of us have no input into updating or changing our job descriptions.

62% of us are often or sometimes asked to perform duties outside our job descriptions.

We are concerned about privatization and the possible loss of our jobs. 16% of our members report that skilled trades work is being contracted out in their school districts.

We want to be paid equitably relative to other skilled trades jobs outside public education. We also need equitable scheduling of assignments and awarding of overtime, as well as contractual compensatory time provisions.

We often must perform jobs for which we do not have the required training, licenses, or certification. To keep up with current technology, we need more support in obtaining ongoing training and professional development, particularly instruction in working with new materials and methods and in dealing safely with dangerous chemicals, electrical wiring, asbestos, and other job hazards.

We enjoy the freedom we have to decide how to do our jobs. We want more opportunities for advancement, for in-service training, and for other types of professional development. We'd like more support from local associations, from our supervisors, and from teachers.

How Can We Help Restore Public Confidence in Public Education? Skilled Trades Members Speak Out:

"Help the public understand how many people it takes for a school to run successfully. Point out what type of work is being done and by whom."

"Take pride in ourselves, our work, and our schools."

"Communicate with friends and neighbors about the challenges that we meet every day and how valuable our input is to the smooth operation of each school and the district as a whole."

Skilled Trades: Who We Are

• Electricians
• Carpenters
• Painters and Glaziers
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanics and Specialists
• Machine Operators, Assemblers, and Inspectors
• Printing Services Personnel
• Nonmanagerial Supervisors