Lecturer / Trainee Lecturer - Youth Work

Role: Lecturer – Youth Work

Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus

Salary: £33,048 to £38,169 per annum (Pro‑Rata) for Qualified Lecturer; £26,651 to £31,982 for Trainee Lecturer, with 45/35 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, Teacher’s Pension, retail and leisure discounts, professional development opportunities.

Hours: 30 hours per week, 52 weeks per year

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Right to work: Must have right to work in the UK; no sponsorship offered.

Interviews to be held: 01 May 2026

About the role

• Youth Work Curriculum Leadership – Lead the design, development and sustainability of a high‑quality Youth Worker qualification offer aligned to sector standards, professional bodies and local labour market needs.
• Teaching, Learning & Assessment Excellence – Deliver and assess Youth Work programmes and teach flexibly across Health, Social Care and Childcare, ensuring inclusive, engaging learning and strong learner outcomes.
• Quality Assurance & Learner Progress – Oversee assessment, internal quality assurance and progress tracking, contributing to continuous improvement, curriculum planning and achievement of departmental KPIs.
• Employer, Community & Sector Engagement – Build and maintain strong partnerships with employers, community organisations and bodies such as the NYA to enhance placements, enrichment and vocational relevance.
• College Values, Compliance & Collaboration – Promote safeguarding, EDI and health & safety, contribute to college‑wide initiatives and marketing activities, engage in CPD, and work collaboratively with leaders and teams to deliver an outstanding student experience.

About you

• Qualifications & Professional Standing – Hold a JNC‑recognised Youth Work qualification (or historic equivalent), GCSE English and maths (or willingness to achieve Level 2), with commitment to gaining CertEd and Assessor qualifications.
• Sector Experience & Expertise – Minimum three years’ recent practice within youth, community or voluntary sectors, with up‑to‑date sector knowledge, strong performance history and understanding of current developments.
• Teaching, Assessment & Learner Progress – Demonstrate effective teaching across diverse ages and abilities, prepare high‑quality schemes of work, assess and track progress, and manage behaviour to support achievement.
• Communication, Relationships & Partnerships – Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to build professional relationships with students, colleagues and employers while maintaining clear boundaries and vocational relevance.
• Values, Professionalism & Flexibility – Student‑centred and inclusive, committed to college values, safeguarding and health & safety, resilient under pressure, open to continuous development, and able to work flexibly across sites.

Organisational Vision 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.

About Bedford College

Bedford College has a number of sites across the town and surrounding areas, including our main Cauldwell Street campus in the heart of the town, our hair and beauty salon on the High Street, the advanced automotive centre on Brunel Road and the gas and technology plumbing centre in Kempston.

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, Tresham College, and clubs including Shuttleworth College, The Bedford Sixth Form, the Corby Sixth Form and the National College for Motorsport.

Safeguarding and Vetting

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 a thorough vetting process which includes an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.