Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

The Skilled Trades Quality Workforce that exists in our public schools does not occur by accident. A quality workforce emerges from an ongoing effort by all employees in a school district to contribute to the school community "state of readiness." This workforce comes together when Skilled Trades ESP are recognized and included in the school district mission to enhance student achievement.

This effort must include results-oriented job descriptions and evaluations, new employee orientation programs, ongoing in-service training programs, relevant and current skill set training, and career-enhancing professional development programs. This information — originally published as a  booklet — highlights some of the challenges Skilled Trades ESP face daily as they endeavor to build a Skilled Trades Quality Workforce.

Who We Really Are and What We Really Do

“Our public schools all over the country and our schools in cities in particular are in dire need. We keep raising standards for test scores, but don’t increase resources! Our dilapidated school buildings are a glaring failure of our educational funding policies. Hiring and paying skilled employees to construct and repair school buildings is not a priority! We continue to build and maintain prisons and sports complexes, and fer-ciously neglect physical school structures all in the name of the taxpayer. As a result—the policy becomes—some students will be tracked to Yale, and some will be tracked toward jail! At least when they get there, the building will be in good condition!”
    —Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, LA Times, 2-14-2001

Our Job Description

Skilled Trades Education Support Professionals are essential school employees whose daily work provides for the physical quality of the school building environment. These ESP participate as important skilled members of the “team” of employees responsible for the structural maintenance of public school buildings so that they are aesthetically and safely maintained for students, staff, and the community.

Skilled Trades ESP generally work full-time, 12 months of the year at a dizzying array of jobs and tasks. In many cases, they have attended college, and well over half have completed trade, technical, or vocational training, with over 75% having met specific requirements for their jobs. Many have earned special licenses and certificates, and many take examinations or courses on a regular basis to keep their positions.

Most school districts do not do a good job of defining the jobs that Skilled Trades ESP. Almost 60% of those polled by the NEA Research Division feel strongly that their job descriptions do not accurately reflect what they really do. As many as 70% state that they have no input into updating or changing their job descriptions, and as many as 14% have no job descriptions at all!

The vital role Skilled Trades ESP play in the school environment to help students to learn and thrive is not recognized. School administrations make very little connection between the overall condition of the physical school building and enhanced student achievement.

What Skilled Trades ESP really do on a daily basis must be identified and then accurately described in a comprehensive and meaningful job description in order for these employees to achieve recognition and improved terms and conditions of employment. When not included in the job description writing process, Skilled Trades employees are unable to affect their employment conditions such as salary, job security, grievance adjudication, task ment, time management, skill training, or career-enhancing professional development.

Your written job description matters a great deal! It should describe who you really are, and what you really do in a public school district, and as part of the Skilled Trades Quality Workforce.

To Section 2: The Complexity of Work Done by Skilled Trades ESP