Earn money as a Covid tester in secondary schools and colleges, to help keep more teachers, support staff and pupils attending school.
This is certainly not a way of earning money that I expected to be talking about this time last year.
But, the way we live is changing, and the way we can earn money is changing. If you are looking for work in the new year, this may be an opportunity to earn extra money.
You may have heard on the news that kids will be going back to school as planned in January. Part of going back is that the children in year 7 through to college will be offered rapid result lateral flow tests regularly.
I have a secondary school-aged daughter and, having seen the communications from the school, I can guess they’re going to struggle to teach full time, plus get the staff to administer tests. One of their emails even suggested parents may be asked to volunteer.
However, things are moving along, and now vacancies are popping up looking for people to give tests in schools.
Make money as a covid tester
From Monday, 4th January 2021, there are various new positions opening up in schools and college across the country.
You can earn £65 a day, which works out around £1,300 a month before tax.
There are full-time roles, running from around 8 am – 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
The roles being advertised are:
- Team Leaders are responsible for on-site operations at the test site as well as workforce management.
- Test Assistants who will collect samples, pass them to Processing Operatives and give guidance on self-testing.
- Processing Operatives are there to prepare test samples for analysis, conduct processing and interpret results.
- Results Recorders are passed test results from the Processing Operatives and share it with the national programme.
- Registration Assistants meet and greet students, keep everything at the test site smooth, and make sure people are registered on arrival and have test kits.
As you would be working with children, you’d need to have a DBS on the Update Service, and have a driving licence as you may need to travel between different school locations.
Training and PPE will be given, although children will be doing their own tests (with the staff there to explain the process, supervise and give guidance).
You’d also need to have customer service skills and be used to communicating with children and adults.
Strong organisational and administrative skills are also a must.
They are looking for people who can start work immediately.
These specific roles are advertised on Indeed and GSL Education’s website for jobs in Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Lincolnshire.
The advert on their site says:
“Following the recent announcement by the Department for Education that rapid-result lateral flow tests will be sent to all secondary schools and colleges in the new year, we are currently looking to recruit several Covid-19 Test Assistants.
“Under the guidance, staff and pupils will be tested weekly – hence we are preparing to fill numerous new positions to support testing sites in schools that are both safe and robust starting from Monday, 4th January 2021.
“This is an opportunity to work full-time between Monday and Friday (approx. 0800 – 1530) at local schools on an ongoing basis. PPE and training will be provided by the school.”
It’s not just schools; there are also private testing facilities and walk-in test centres in Wiltshire, Kent and other regions advertising for staff on Indeed as well. Try “Covid test jobs near me” in your preferred search engine to find more.
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Testing should be done BEFORE kids are sent to school not when they are already there. Only negative testing kids should then be sent to school.
i would like to become a covid 19 tester