Holiday Booking Leads to Higher Education for Alexandru

Mixing study with a full-time job makes for a busy life for Lisburn man Alexandru Oncea, (28), whose return to education followed a chat with an online travel agent when he was booking his own holiday.

Alexandru said, “I have always loved geography and travel, but it wasn’t until I was booking my own holiday, and got chatting with the travel agent, that I considered this might be something I could do. I did a little bit of research and found the HNC in International Travel and Tourism Management at SERC, decided to go for it and applied online.   It was that simple.”

Alexandru, originally from Romania, was on a different path to study transport engineering before he moved to Northern Ireland. He said, “It wasn’t what I expected – there was a lot of maths and chemistry - so I didn’t pursue it and I am glad now to be studying travel and tourism management.   I currently work full time at Decora Blinds in Lisburn and because it is shift work, I have been able to balance my home life with work and the course.”  

He added, “I am really enjoying the course and everything I am learning about travel and tourism - life is very busy.  What attracted me most to the HNC qualification was the opportunity of a placement which is built into the course.   Next spring, I will complete 80 hours with an organisation connected to the industry.   I am hoping to go on placement in a travel agency, which will give me a real insight into this sector.” 

The young man who speaks Romanian, English and is currently learning Spanish – from his wife - is already ahead of the competition for employment in travel and tourism on completion of his HNC.   He said, “I would like to get a few years work experience in the industry and then I might look at topping up my HNC.”

Alexandru is keen to promote the opportunities in further education.   He said, “It’s fantastic that you can come to SERC and do just about anything that will take you in the direction of a career path – electrician, accountant, hospitality, or like me, tourism and management – I would encourage anyone to find out what is available and apply. The classes are small, everyone is friendly, the tutors go out of their way to help you if you need help or support, and the facilities are great too.”    

Applications are now open for higher education courses commencing September 2024. Unlock your future #BetterOffAtSERC