Engineering the Future at SERC

Coming to College and getting stuck into engineering was always first choice for Ryan Graham, who progressed from Further to Higher Education at SERC and who is now an industrial training consultant for engineering at the college.

Ryan (24) from Crossgar says, “I knew early on that I wanted to get into engineering. I did well in my Technology and Design GCSE at Saintfield High School, but instead of the A-Level route, I decided to progress to SERC to get straight into engineering on the Level 3 in Mechatronic Engineering. From there, I progressed to the Level 5 HND in Mechatronic Engineering at Downpatrick Campus.”

Following a year-long internship at SERC, Ryan secured the position of industrial training consultant in engineering at the college. He says “My qualifications were aligned to what was in demand in the sector, plus I was using industry grade machinery and the latest CAD software. I was able to learn about the different areas of engineering through the variety of units I studied at SERC, including Automation and Robotics, MIG Welding, operating a Lathe, Electronic Design and Circuits. The topics that sparked my interest the most was CAD and Product Design, both of which are a big part of what I do in my role as Industrial Training Consultant."

Ryan added, “My job involves providing training in my area of expertise - Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) - to local Engineering SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). I also work on specialist product development projects, helping take a customer’s vison from the design phase right through to a manufactured prototype.   SERC has capability do this because we have industry-grade machinery such as CNC machines, 3D Printing and CAD software such as SolidWorks and Autodesk Fusion 360."

“The best part of my job is going onsite to multiple local engineering companies. Not only do I see how their processes and business work, but my role means I am able to make a big difference to support rejuvenation of their business through knowledge provision."  

Ryan concluded, “My advice to anyone who is interested in a career in engineering is to ask questions about everything. Learning from experts will help you grow and develop into a better engineer.”  

Come along to our Higher Education Open Evening 4.00 - 7.00pm, Wednesday 16 November, at Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards.