Essex County Council
Canteen Assistant

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About The Role
Canteen Assistant
Part-Time, Temporary
£13.77 PAYE / £17.63 Umbrella
Location: Colchester
Working Style: Fixed Base Worker
Closing Date: Wednesday 12th August 2026
About Us:
We’re looking for a passionate and customer service focused individual to join our Canteen Team at ACL. If you’re looking for a part-time opportunity within a catering environment, we want to hear from you!
This is a part-time role working 6 hours per week each Friday during term time only.
Working Hours: 09:00am-15:00pm
Adult Community Learning (ACL) is ECC’s provider of lifelong learning experiences for Essex residents. ACL offers qualifications to help people move nearer to, enter or progress within the workplace or gain skills to enhance life chances. The service focuses many of its programmes and activities on the hardest to reach communities within Essex. ACL learners have access to a diverse range of accredited and non-accredited courses which encourage creativity, healthy lifestyles, social inclusion and engagement.
The Role:
The Canteen Assistant will deliver high quality customer service, providing drinks, confectionery and light snacks to users of the ACL refreshment areas.
Requirements:
- Possessing a food handling or hygiene qualification at level 1 or above and experience of working within a customer focussed catering environment.
- The role requires good communication skills and knowledge and understanding of health and safety procedures.
About You:
You will:
- Possess a Level 1 food handling/hygiene qualification with experience of working within a catering environment.
- Have the ability to improve skills within role.
- Have experience of working with the public in a customer orientated service.
- Be experienced in handling and recording cash.
- Possess good verbal communication skills with a customer focussed approach.
- Have the ability to work within a team with a flexible attitude and approach.
What will you be doing?
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
- Provide drinks and sell confectionery and light snacks to staff and visitors to ACL.
- Responsible for handling and recording cash to ensure all receipts are managed in line with Essex County Council procedures.
- Responsible for keeping equipment and surfaces in a clean condition to comply with Health & Safety requirements and maintaining a healthy and safe working environment.
- Promote and deliver high standards of customer care, adhering to quality assurance systems in accordance with local procedures.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
Why Essex?
To read more about us please visit:
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will apply to this assignment and where a worker elects to provide their services through an intermediary (such as a personal services company) then income tax and primary national insurance contributions will be deducted at source from any payments made to the intermediary.
How to apply:
Start your journey within Essex Youth Service by clicking the APPLY button now!
If you are interested in finding out more about this role or require further information, we would love to hear from you. Please email: Ashleigh.drake@essex.gov.uk
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community.
Additional Information:
If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email Ashleigh.Drake@essex.gov.uk
Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page.
Downloads
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills