Receptionist

Nelson and Colne College Group; Nelson; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 26,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Workplace pension scheme

Flexible benefits

Free on-site parking

Staff recognition

Job summary

Nelson and Colne College Group is seeking a part-time Receptionist in Student Services for a maternity cover. The role involves greeting visitors, handling enquiries, and supporting students and staff on campus, with primary duties at Nelson and Colne College but may travel to other sites.

You will be the first contact for visitors, answer calls, and help maintain smooth front-of-house operations. A friendly, proactive approach is essential, with good English and Maths GCSEs and IT skills.

Qualifications

• 4 GCSEs or equivalent including Maths and English at Grade 4 / C or above.
• IT qualification such as ECDL or experience of working with Microsoft packages.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for visitors and provide front-of-house services.
• Answer and respond to telephone calls, take messages and refer callers as needed.
• Coordinate college postal services and ensure timely notification for collections.

Skills

Customer care

Communication

Education

GCSEs including Maths and English

Tools

ECDL

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Vacancy

Receptionist: Student Services

Salary: £26,078.33 (pro-rata £13,039.17) per annum

Hours: 18.5 per week

Contract Type: Part-Time - Fixed term (Maternity Cover)

Working Weeks: Full Year

Site: Nelson and Colne College

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 27th September 2026

Interview date: Thursday 15th October 2026

'Would you like to be part of a team that aims to create the extraordinary?'

Our Organisation

This role is advertised by East Lancashire Learning Group Professional Services. Part of East Lancashire Learning Group, ELLG Professional Services provides expert business support services to the wider College Group.

East Lancashire Learning Group is a beacon for educational excellence, made up of a family of colleges - Nelson & Colne College, Accrington & Rossendale College and Lancashire Adult Learning. The College Group is the only Further Education college in Lancashire to be graded as 'Outstanding' under the new Ofsted inspection framework.

Together the Group forms a Sixth Form, Skills and Technology Centre, University Centre, employer training and adult learning provider delivering exceptional teaching and learning to all ages and at all levels.

The Exciting Role

A new and exciting opportunity has become available for a part-time fixed term Receptionist within our Student Services department.

Working as a college receptionist puts you right at the centre of campus life. From welcoming visitors and supporting students to answering enquiries and helping keep things running smoothly, you will be involved in a wide variety of tasks throughout the day.

If you enjoy meeting people, solving problems and working as part of a busy and supportive team, this could be the perfect opportunity. You will be able to use your customer care and communication skills to make a real difference to anyone visiting, working or learning at the college.

The successful candidate will be primarily based at Nelson and Colne College but may be required to travel across sites.

What You Will Be Doing

You will be the first point of contact for all visitors and represent the College with excellent customer care and front of house services for customers, learners, staff and contractors and working closely with the Student Services team.

You will be responsible for answering and responding to telephone calls in a timely and professional manner, taking messages and referring callers and visitors to the correct person as well as providing first level information and advice as required using our Teams Telephony system.

You will ensure that college postal service runs efficiently and effectively. This will include liaising with the sorting office for College closures and making sure that parcels are received in accordance with College policy and departments receive timely notification for their collection.

What We Are Looking For

• Friendly, approachable positive and enthusiastic person with excellent customer care skills and an ability to show initiative and work under pressure.
• You will have 4 GCSEs or equivalent including Maths and English at Grade 4 / C or above and a relevant IT qualification such as ECDL or experience of working with Microsoft packages.

What We Offer in Return

• Access to a workplace pension scheme - with generous employer contributions
• Enhanced occupational sick pay scheme and access to family friendly policies and benefits
• A range of health and wellbeing benefits and support
• Staff recognition scheme, including long service awards
• Fantastic family friendly policies
• Free on-site parking on all College sites

Please visit the Careers section on our website for full details of our benefits http://www.eastlancslearning.ac.uk/

Please note: All of our posts are subject to an enhanced DBS check due to working with vulnerable adults and children. Should you wish to discuss this further, please get in touch with the HR team.

East Lancashire Learning Group

East Lancashire Learning Group (ELLG) is comprised of Nelson and Colne College, Accrington and Rossendale College, Lancashire Adult Learning and ELLG Professional Services. Together we exist to transform lives through education, skills, and opportunity. Across the Group, we are home to 2,400 A Level and technical students aged 16 to 18, 16,500 adult learners, 1,300 apprentices, and 400 higher education students, all taking confident steps into high-value professional and technical careers through skills and higher education.

We are deeply rooted in our communities and proud to work alongside hundreds of local employers, shaping a skilled, adaptable, and ambitious workforce that drives growth and opportunity across our region. Our commitment goes beyond teaching; we offer personalised support, real-world experiences, and pathways that raise aspirations and strengthen social mobility for learners of all backgrounds.

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted for 20 consecutive years - the only college in the country to achieve this - ELLG combines excellent teaching and learning, driven by evidence-based pedagogies and practice, with innovation and employer partnership to meet the evolving needs of learners, industry, and society. Our drive towards research and development in teaching and learning underpins our practice, supporting our colleges to achieve sector-leading outcomes in English and maths, exceptional A level progress, and high satisfaction in higher education through the National Student Survey. In doing so, we create opportunities that strengthen our region, support employers, and open doors for every learner to achieve their potential.

The Benefits

• Pay & Conditions
• Rewards & Recognition
• Facilities & Working Environment
• Professional Development
• Health & Wellbeing
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Documents

• ELLG - HR Rewards Scheme - Download
• Job Description - Reception Services Assistant - Download