Catering apprentice

Leigh College; Wigan; Remote; GBP 12,000 - 14,000; Full time

Job summary

WIGAN AND LEIGH COLLEGE invites applications for a one-year Catering Apprenticeship. You’ll spend most of your time working in our kitchens, learning hands-on across food preparation, cooking, serving, and customer service while meeting college standards.

You'll learn to operate the till, support stock, maintain hygiene, follow health and safety procedures, and help with events and service for students, staff and visitors.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths (grade 2) required.
• Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience.

Responsibilities

• Help prepare, cook and serve hot and cold food.
• Operate the till and assist with basic cash handling.
• Support stock ordering, replenishment and storage.
• Maintain food hygiene and temperature records.
• Follow health and safety and food hygiene procedures.
• Work as part of a team to support service delivery.

Skills

Customer care skills

Logical

Creative

Initiative

Non judgemental

Education

GCSE Maths

Job description

Closes in 14 days (Friday 23 October 2026)

You’ll get Hands-on experience across food preparation, cooking, serving, customer service, tills, stock and kitchen activity. You’ll work alongside experienced colleagues who will help you develop your skills and understand the standards expected in a professional catering environment.

Hours Monday to Thursday 8.30am-5.00pm Friday 8.30am-4.00pm. Please note this position is term-time only, you will be paid for 38 weeks. 37 hours a week

Monday 2 November 2026

Duration 1 year

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting Hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

• Help prepare, cook and serve hot and cold food.
• Support food service across refectories, hospitality, bookings and college events.
• Serve students, staff and visitors in a friendly and professional way.
• Operate the till and support basic cash handling.
• Help with stock ordering, replenishment and storage.
• Maintain food hygiene and temperature records.
• Keep kitchens, counters and preparation areas clean and organised.
• Follow health and safety and food hygiene procedures.
• Learn how to use catering equipment safely.
• Complete the learning and development required as part of your apprenticeship.

Where you’ll work

PO Box 53
Parsons Walk
Wigan
Greater Manchester
WN1 1RS

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

• Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
• Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
• Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
• Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
• Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
• Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
• Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
• Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
• Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
• Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
• Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
• Use feedback to improve own performance.
• Prepare and close down an area for service.
• Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
• Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
• Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
• Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
• Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
• Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
• Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
• Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
• Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
• Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.
• Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
• Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
• Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
• Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
• Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
• Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
• Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
• Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
• Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
• Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
• Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
• Use feedback to improve own performance.
• Prepare and close down an area for service.
• Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
• Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
• Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
• Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
• Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
• Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
• Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
• Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
• Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
• Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.

The training will take place in the workplace

Requirements

GCSE in:

• Maths (grade 2)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Customer care skills
• Logical
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental

Other requirements

If you’re offered the role, we’ll need to do some checks before you start, including verifying any qualifications, a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and a medical questionnaire. We use Protocol National Ltd & E-Safeguarding Ltd, so they may contact you.

About this employer

As the college for technical excellence, we’re committed to raising learning aspirations and helping our community thrive socially and economically. We offer exceptional teaching, support and guidance in academic, vocational, technical and apprenticeship programmes.

• A culture where people look out for each other

On completion of the apprenticeship you will be eligible to apply for any positions that become available.

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WIGAN AND LEIGH COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000057939.