General Assistant

Bedford ESOL; Bedford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 27,000; Part time

Job summary

The Bedford College Group seeks a General Assistant to support its catering services. Responsibilities include food preparation, customer service, and maintaining health and safety standards. Candidates should have relevant food safety knowledge and enjoy working in a team environment. This part-time role offers a competitive salary and opportunities for personal development.

Benefits

27 days annual leave (Pro-Rata)

People’s pension

Retail and Leisure Discounts

Professional and personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in food preparation and service.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations.
• Customer service experience in a catering environment.

Responsibilities

• Assist with food and beverage preparation.
• Maintain cleanliness of kitchen and dining areas.
• Handle customer feedback and support promotional events.

Skills

Food Preparation

Customer Service

Health, Safety & Hygiene

Teamwork

Education

Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

Job description

General Assistant at The Bedford College Group

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Between £25,467 and £26,499 per annum (Pro-Rata) DOE and Qualifications

Location:

Bedford

Role: General Assistant

Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £25,467 and £26,4...

Role: General Assistant

Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £25,467 and £26,499 per annum (Pro-Rata) DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave (Pro-Rata) plus Bank holidays,People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 22 hours per week – 12.00 – 17.30 on Mondays and 14.30 – 20.00 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Contract Type: Permanent – Part Time

About the role:

We are currently seeking a General Assistant to join our Bedford College Services department at The Bedford College Group.

As a General Assistant, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Food Preparation & Service – Assist with food and beverage preparation, operate kitchen equipment, and serve meals and drinks to customers in a courteous and professional manner.
• Customer Service & Sales – Maintain a welcoming environment, support promotional events, handle customer feedback professionally, and contribute to sales through upselling and themed events.
• Health, Safety & Hygiene – Ensure cleanliness of kitchen and dining areas, follow COSHH and HACCP regulations, and support safe working practices including proper storage and waste disposal.
• Stock & Finance Support – Assist with stock control, deliveries, and financial procedures including cash handling, float reconciliation, and reporting discrepancies to management.
• Teamwork & Professional Conduct – Maintain punctuality, personal hygiene, and dress standards; attend training; support colleagues during absences; and uphold safeguarding, equality, and health and safety responsibilities.

About you:

• Catering & Food Safety Knowledge – Holds a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate, allergen training, and strong understanding of food preparation, cooking, and kitchen cleanliness standards.
• Customer Service & Sales – Experienced in customer care, cash handling via tills and PDQ machines, and using front-of-house catering systems to support smooth service delivery.
• Technical & IT Skills – Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, with the ability to follow instructions and multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Teamwork & Flexibility – Works effectively as part of a team, with a flexible approach to hours and duties, and willingness to travel to events and various sites.
• Physical Readiness & Initiative – Capable of frequent lifting tasks, demonstrates drive and enthusiasm, and committed to ongoing skill development and service excellence.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: 07 July 2025

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

What is an Associate?

Associates work on a short term basis as assigned. They teach or provide support services and they work with and are supported by core staff. As an Associate you will be issued with an Associate agreement, under this Agreement period you will be eligible to work on assignments offered to you. Typically an agreement runs from January to December and may be renewed thereafter.

About Bedford College Services (BCS)

BCS is A multi-faceted enterprise that operates across the leisure, hospitality, catering, theatre and facilities hire sectors.

The purpose of BCS is to provide a suite of commercial services to the staff and students of The Bedford College Group and to the wider community. Always striving to provide the highest quality of product and services and endeavouring to ensure that its supply chain complies with modern day thinking of sustainability, carbon emissions and modern slavery. BCS will bid for external contracts to provide those services, exploiting its management skills and capacity. Additionally BCS works to enrich student and staff experience within the Group through work experience, qualifying courses or apprenticeship, actively engaging within the communities it operates in.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire:Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College andTreshamCollegein the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough;ShuttleworthCollege,a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for MotorsportalongsideSilverstonerace circuit.To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.

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