Why Join Us

Generous holiday allowances

East Kent Colleges Group offers generous leave and holiday allowances to support a healthy work-life balance. Our roles come with excellent annual leave allocations, with full-time lecturers enjoying around 11 weeks off per year, not including bank holidays. We ask our lecturers to work 194 days per year, plus 10 admin days, ensuring flexibility in your schedule.

Senior roles (Deputy Head of Department and above) benefit from 38 days of leave per year. Additionally, most roles become eligible for enhanced leave after five years of continuous service and have the option to request an unpaid career break of up to two years.

Depending on your role, you can also request to carry over up to five days of leave into the next holiday year, giving you even more flexibility with your time off.

Industry-leading contributions

At the Group, we offer a fantastic pension contribution for all staff, helping you build a secure future. In addition to your own contributions, the Group adds a significant percentage to your pension, boosting your retirement savings.

Depending on your role, you’ll benefit from:

• Teachers’ Pension Scheme – 28% employer contribution
• Local Government Pension Scheme – 18% employer contribution
• National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) – Available for hotel staff only

Our generous pension contributions mean that for every pound you save, East Kent Colleges Group adds even more, ensuring you receive excellent support for your long-term financial wellbeing.

Continued support when unwell

In addition to a supportive wellbeing policy, occupational health services, counselling and mental health support which supports our employees back to work, we offer a generous sick pay scheme.

After a qualifying period, we offer up to 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay for those who are absent due to illness.

Support for moving costs

For those who relocate for their job with us, we have a relocation scheme that supports with expenses such as moving costs, transport, interim hotel or temporary accommodation, settling in allowance, removal and storage costs.

At a maximum of 5% of the vacancy’s annual salary, this supports roles that are:

• Permanent
• At least 18.5 hours per week
• A hard to fill teaching or specialist role
• Or A Head or Deputy Head role or above

You’ll also be moving specifically to work with us, and from outside of Kent.

Our relocation package is subject to approval and further details can be discussed with the Resourcing Team.

Supporting our staff

At EKC Canterbury College, we are committed to being a supportive employer and continuously develop our policies to better assist our staff. As a Mindful Employer, we actively work to raise awareness of mental health and provide meaningful support.

Here are just some of the ways we care for our employees:

Health and Wellbeing Support

• Free eye tests and glasses vouchers
• Health checks and free flu jabs
• Discounted gym membership at our Canterbury College
• Counselling services
• Occupational Health Assessments
• Trained Mental Health First Aiders and Menopause Champions

Workplace Support & Flexibility

• Financial advice and mediation services
• Mentoring opportunities
• Flexible working for medical appointments during work hours
• Time off for training an Assistance Dog
• Support for returning to work after long absences

Medical Leave & Appointments

• Paid time off for medical screenings for serious conditions
• Additional leave for ongoing check-ups following treatment
• Flexibility for hospital and doctor appointments when they cannot be scheduled outside of working hours

At East Kent Colleges Group, we prioritise the wellbeing of our staff, ensuring they have access to the support they need both in and outside of work.

Savings on tech, travel, and cars

You could boost your savings and enjoy some great perks with salary sacrifice.

Salary Sacrifice is where you give up part of your salary and in return you can purchase or receive non-cash benefits.

We have three benefits within the Salary Sacrifice:

• Tech Scheme

  Save up to 12% on NI and pay direct from your salary on tech purchases which you can split into 12 monthly instalments.

• Cycle to Work Scheme

  This employee benefit sees you save between 25-39% off bikes and accessories. You pay nothing up front, and payments are taken efficiently from your salary.

• Car Benefit – Car Salary Exchange

  This benefit can support you with leasing a car through Salary Sacrifice.

Armed Forces Support

We are supportive of staff who are reservists, ex-forces personnel or serving in non-regular forces, including support to attend summer camp and training days. We will support mobilisation, deployment and recuperation time and other special leave to enable attendance at support groups and reunions.

We also offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for those within the Armed Forces, Ex-Forces, including their partners. More details around this can be found within our application form.

Work life balance support

Finding work life balance is important, which is why we offer support during those busy and at times, stressful days.

• We offer time off for a child’s first day of nursery, school or college, understanding that this is a significant day.
• We also offer time off for moving home.
• As a company which focuses on your development, we give time off for up-to 2 interviews per year.
• Time off for fertility treatment
• Parental buddies for new parents who would like to connect and meet with others with young children

Investment in your growth

As an organisation, we see the importance of our staff’s development. We have 3 or 4 specifically paid group development days per year to allow our teams, departments and colleges to come together and focus on learning, improving and information. Through key-note speakers, webinars and workshops, development is tailored to our workforce.

If you’re new to teaching or assessing, we’ll support you in gaining the right qualifications with our in-house teaching academy. We’re committed to significant investment in your future of up-to £7000 for a teaching qualification and up-to £5000 for an assessor qualification, plus paid time off within your working week to study. You can find more information about how we support those new to teaching here.

Through entitled monthly meetings with your line manager, each staff member can focus on their Development Action Plans to enable growth in their future.

Some of our other bespoke development programmes include:

• First Line Manager Development Programme
• Programme Director Development Programme
• Middle Leadership Development Programme
• Senior Leadership Development Programme
• Aspiring Leaders Development Programme
• Professional Workforce Development Programme
• Next Steps Mentoring Programme
• Grab and Go: Preparing for Students Success Sessions
• Hiring Manager Training
• Learning Skills Coaches Digital Development Programme
• Business Systems Training
• Department Conferences

Unlock Exclusive Perks and Discounts

All employees have access to our exclusive online reward platform, MyRewards, offering hundreds of discounts across a variety of popular categories, including Dining, Retail, Fitness, Travel, Entertainment, Technology and Home. Additionally, we provide access to the Smart Spending app, which helps you make the most of your savings by offering even more exclusive discounts and cashback options.

Additionally, we offer other discounts such as:

• 10% off at the Yarrow hotel for stays, spa treatments, food, and drinks.
• Discounts at Canterbury Sports Hall and Gym, located on-site at Canterbury College.
• Special offers at our student salons.
• Access to free or discounted courses, with the opportunity to attend selected local college courses for free (subject to availability) — you only pay for registration and exam fees.

Our community is at the heart of what we do

At East Kent Colleges Group, we believe in giving back to the community and supporting causes that matter to you. During two designated weeks per year, you and your team can support something you care about in your community. Whether it's helping at a local allotment, painting a youth centre, supporting a care home, or volunteering in areas like litter-picking, gardening, or wildlife work, you can make a real difference.

In addition, we offer the following support and benefits for those involved in specific volunteer roles:

• My-10-Days initiative: Bid for up to 10 days off work to pursue a voluntary cause that you're passionate about.

• Paid leave for specific volunteer roles:

  • Part-time firefighters, volunteer Special Constables, and lifeboat volunteers to support their work.
  • Volunteers with cadets can request extended weekend leave (leaving early on Friday and starting late on Monday) for weekend camps.

• Paid leave for official duties:

  • Employees serving as School Governors, local councillors, union representatives, or Justices of the Peace.
• Paid leave for examiners or internal verifiers: Employees serving as examiners or internal verifiers for universities or similar examination boards are eligible for up to 5 days of paid leave.

Our Net-Zero Commitment

We’re named alongside more than 594 education institutions dedicated to supporting the UN’s ‘Race to Zero’ initiative globally.

Signed ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, the pledge commits us to three key actions:

1. Mobilising more resources for action-oriented climate change research and skills creation;
2. Pledge to reach net-zero by 2030, or 2050 at the very latest;
3. Increasing the delivery of environmental and sustainability education across curriculum, campus and community outreach programmes.

For more details of our Sustainability Strategy, click here.