Get Sorted for September and Enjoy the Summer

Get yourself sorted for September and enjoy the summer – that’s the message from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) ahead of their Opening Evening on Thursday 6 June from 5pm to 8pm, in the College’s Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards Campuses.

Prospective students will be able to talk to tutors who can give you advice on the range of full-time and part-time courses starting in September 2024.

Careers advisors will be on hand to help you to explore your options and consider all the different full-time and part time pathways available with courses that can help you unlock your future; ranging from Level 1, for those with few qualifications who wish to develop skills and increase employability or change career; through to Level 6, for those who wish to study at a degree level. Depending on campus of study, subjects range from animal care to health and social care, applied science to engineering, culinary arts to cyber security and digital forensics, sport to creative media production and technology.  

Visitors will receive guidance on the applications and admissions process, experience the state-of-the-art facilities on campus and will have the opportunity to find out more about SERC’s student welfare support services including pastoral care, student finance, careers service and the students’ union.  In addition, our learning support team will be on hand to advise and guide those who have a learning difficulty or disability.

(Inset) Matthew Rutherford, (19), from Bangor is completing a Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeship NI at SERC’s Newtownards Campus and is employed by Laird Contracts Ltd in Bangor. He said, “I did physics, maths and chemistry and achieved an A, B and C at A-Level.  I was very pleased with those results, but I knew the university route was not for me.”  

He added, “My whole experience of coming to college has been great.   I love what I am learning at work and in college as part of my Apprenticeship.  You have to be like a sponge, soaking up everything all the time and continually building on what you are learning. I encourage anyone considering their next steps to look at what an Apprenticeship has to offer.”

(Main picture) Robert Donnan, (22), from Newtownards, progressed to SERC following his GCSEs at St Columbanus College.   Robert completed Level 3 in Computing before progressing to a Foundation Degree in Computing and is currently completing the Open University BSc (Hons) in Cloud Computing Technologies at SERC’s Bangor Campus. Robert said, “I obtained the grades necessary to pursue A-Levels, but I chose to attend SERC because the courses focused on the subject, I was most interested in.”

He added, “At SERC there have been lot of opportunities to enhance my skills and experience.   I spent two weeks on a work study placement in Braga, Portugal, which was fully funded by the Turning Scheme, where I had the opportunity to work with local businesses as a web developer.   I was also a class representative in SERC’s Students’ Union, and I worked in the student company FixIT, providing technical support to students and staff and setting up PCs and tablets for Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. All this helped boost my computing skills and confidence.”  

Find out more and to register your interest in joining us on campus at our Open Evening on Thursday 6 June.