Learning and Earning on Electrical Apprenticeship is the Best Choice for Cameron

After deciding that staying on at school wasn’t the right option and instead, wanting to explore a hands-on trade, SERC student Cameron Gorman is learning practical skills for his future on the Level 3 Electrical Installation Apprenticeship at the College’s Newtownards campus.

Cameron, (18) from Bangor says,

“I went to Grosvenor Grammar School in Belfast, but the school way of things was never for me. I wasn’t looking forward to doing my GCSEs, but because of Covid, I ended up getting predicted grades rather than doing exams. I realised after getting my results, that doing A-Levels wasn’t the right pathway for me - I had always been more of a hands-on person and had done joinery with my dad in the past, so I knew I wanted to pick up a trade. I was always interested in electrical installation, so I went online in search of a course and SERC’s website came up straight away. The Electrical Installation apprenticeship was the best advertised course in comparison to other college’s and the first one I saw, so I stuck with it and applied.”

Speaking on his apprenticeship, Cameron says, “This course so far has been brilliant. I am getting hands on experience both in college and on site with my employer, all while getting paid and becoming qualified at the same time. I am employed with B.I. Electrical Services in Belfast who do commercial work, particularly with Translink, who are their biggest customer. They are a great employer to work for, as they are very invested in their apprentices, let me do certain jobs, offer me help whenever I need it, and will give me materials if there is something I need to practice as part of my course.”

He continues, “I work with my employer four days during the week, (with some overtime opportunities at the weekend) and come onto campus for one full day, which is good to break up the week a bit. My tutor John has also gotten me onto an evening class which is the Level 3 Award in Electrical Installation Inspection, Testing, Certification, and Reporting, so it has been really good to have extra opportunities on top of doing my apprenticeship. All the tutors I have had at SERC have been great, and have helped me learn by showing me how to do things, which for me is a lot more useful than just sitting in a classroom and reading things from a book. I have also had the chance to take part in SkillBuild for the past two years and came first in the SERC Electrical Installation competition this year.”

Concluding, Cameron says, “I would really recommend this course to anyone who is thinking about doing an apprenticeship. I am getting so much experience, gaining a good qualification, and getting paid all at the same time while not building up any debt in comparison to university. When I finish this course, I would like to work with a company for a while to continue building my experience, but I would be interested in coming back to SERC to do a few extra courses to keep building up my portfolio.”

Visit www.serc.ac.uk to unlock your future #BetterOffAtSERC.