Groundwork Lecturer

Wigan & Leigh College and University Centre; Wigan; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Wigan & Leigh College is seeking a skilled groundworks practitioner to join our Construction team as a full-time lecturer. You'll teach Groundwork at Level 2 and on apprenticeships, developing practical and theoretical delivery to meet industry expectations.

You'll work with the Head of Department to design schemes of learning, assessment, and delivery, influence course content from day one, and support students toward employability, health and safety, and successful progression into industry

Qualifications

• Extensive hands-on experience in groundwork trades (drainage, foundations, concreting, paving).
• Qualified to Level 3 or higher in relevant trades.
• Teaching qualification or willingness to work towards one; support to obtain.
• GCSE English and Maths at grade C or equivalent; can be completed during probation.
• Experience teaching, training, mentoring or supervising in FE, apprenticeships, or industry training.
• Up-to-date knowledge of groundworks techniques, tools, materials, regulations, and health and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Teach Groundwork at Level 2 and on apprenticeships, with scope to contribute to higher level delivery as we grow.
• Work with the Head of Department to develop the new Groundwork curriculum, including schemes of learning, assessment materials, and practical delivery models.
• Plan and deliver lessons that bring excavation, drainage, concreting, kerbing, paving, and setting out together with theory.
• Use your industry knowledge to keep teaching current, realistic, and aligned with what employers expect.
• Mark work, give clear feedback, and use assessment results to shape how you teach.
• Support students to develop employability skills, professional behaviours, and a solid understanding of health, safety, and environmental sustainability on site.
• Act as a Personal Tutor, supporting students through their course and into their next steps.
• Contribute to student recruitment and course promotion, including Open Evenings, school engagement, and employer-linked activities.

Skills

Groundworks

Teaching experience

Curriculum development

Student mentoring

Health & safety knowledge

Education

Teaching qualification (Cert Ed or PGCE)

GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or equivalent

Job description

Application Deadline: 2 October 2026

Department: Construction

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Wigan & Leigh College

Compensation: £31,699 - £42,540 / year

Description

Full-time - Permanent 37 hours a week

You've done the groundwork. Now lay the foundation for something new.

Wigan & Leigh College is launching Groundwork courses from September 2026, and this is the job that gets it all started. You'll teach at Level 2 and on apprenticeship programmes, covering the practical and theoretical groundwork skills the industry expects: excavation, drainage, concreting, kerbing, paving, setting out, and the health and safety standards that run through all of it.

This role is right for you if you’ve worked the trade and you’re ready to teach what you know. You'll have real input into the course content from day one, working with the Head of Department to develop schemes of learning, assessment, and practical delivery. What you build here shapes what Groundwork looks like at our college for years to come.

What you'll do

• Teach Groundwork at Level 2 and on apprenticeships, with scope to contribute to higher level delivery as we grow.
• Work with the Head of Department to develop the new Groundwork curriculum, including schemes of learning, assessment materials, and practical delivery models.
• Plan and deliver lessons that bring excavation, drainage, concreting, kerbing, paving, and setting out together with theory.
• Use your industry knowledge to keep teaching current, realistic, and aligned with what employers expect.
• Mark work, give clear feedback, and use assessment results to shape how you teach.
• Support students to develop employability skills, professional behaviours, and a solid understanding of health, safety, and environmental sustainability on site.
• Act as a Personal Tutor, supporting students through their course and into their next steps.
• Contribute to student recruitment and course promotion, including Open Evenings, school engagement, and employer-linked activities.

What you'll bring

• Substantial experience working in groundworks, with clear skills across drainage, foundations, concreting, paving, kerbing, and reinstatement.
• On the job expertise at Level 3 or above.
• A teaching qualification (Cert Ed or PGCE), or willingness to work towards one. We'll support you to get there.
• GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or equivalent. You can work towards this during your probationary period.
• Experience teaching, training, mentoring, or supervising others in FE, apprenticeships, or industry training, or you’re ready to move into teaching.
• Up-to-date knowledge of groundworks techniques, tools, materials, regulations, and health and safety standards.

What You're Like

• Practical. You can teach in the workshop, on site, and in the classroom.
• Direct. Students know what's expected and why it’s important.
• Builder. You're excited by the idea of creating something from scratch.
• Patient. You explain things in different ways until they make sense.
• Organised. You can stay on top of marking, records, and admin.

Essentials

• Right to work in the UK.
• You’ll need an enhanced DBS check, if you get the job, we’ll do this for you.
• You're committed to safeguarding and inclusion.
• You can travel across our sites.
• You're flexible and happy to work beyond standard hours when it's needed.

Why work with us?

At Wigan & Leigh College, Great People. Change Lives. isn't a catchphrase, it's what happens every day. Our colleagues look out for each other. Your students get the time and attention they deserve. The work our people do shapes what comes next, for them and for the community around them. You'll join a Construction team that's growing, with new courses coming.

This is a rare opportunity to shape courses from the ground up, with a college that takes technical excellence seriously. You'll have time to teach well, colleagues who care about the trade, and students heading into an industry that needs them.

Time to recharge

• Generous annual leave entitlement, including bank holidays (depending on your role)
• Family-friendly leave policies

Wellbeing as well as work

• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Medicash healthcare plan
• Occupational health support
• Confidential counselling
• Specsavers eye test vouchers
• A culture where people look out for each other

Financial peace of mind

• Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme
• Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, buy tech)
• Railcard & Tusker Green car scheme
• Local and national discount schemes

Clear progression routes

• Opportunities to step up, specialise, or move across departments
• Leadership pathways
• Support to gain teaching qualifications

Attention FE teachers:

You could be eligible for a government levelling-up payment of £2,000–£6,000 if you teach subjects like construction, engineering, maths, computing or early years. This applies if you're in your first 5 years of FE teaching and spend at least 50% of your time teaching eligible level 3 (or below) courses. Find out more.