Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 5 to 9 Feb

Would-be apprentices are invited to SERC's  Apprenticeships - All You Need to Know sessions during Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week, 5 – 9 February 2024. Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week, led by the Department for the Economy (DfE), will showcase how apprenticeships can transform the future of apprentices and businesses, helping them release their potential.  

During the week-long initiative, SERC is hosting four information sessions over two evenings from 4.30 – 7.00pm on Tuesday 6 February (Bangor and Newtownards Campuses) and Thursday 8 February (Downpatrick and Lisburn Campuses). 

As apprenticeships run from different campuses, visitors should check the different sessions to see what runs where in preparation for their visit: Click Here

Victoria Boyd, Training Programme Manager, said, “Our Apprenticeships – All You Need to Know sessions will include visits to workshops to see the facilities and to gather information for a range of Level 2, Level 3 and Higher-Level Apprenticeships offered. Would-be apprentices of all ages will have the opportunity to learn more about available opportunities in a wide range of sectors including accountancy, fire and security, wall and floor tiling, professional cookery, land-based engineering, health and social care, motor vehicle, construction, engineering, electrical, hairdressing, cloud computing technologies and leadership for children’s care."

She added, “Apprentices are employed from the start and earn whilst they learn, so there is no debt or student loan to pay off at the end of the apprenticeship.   They work alongside experienced staff in the workplace and build on their skills and experience each and every day, spending up to four days in the workplace and one day in College for study related to their apprenticeship.”

“An Apprenticeship is a three-way partnership between the Apprentice, SERC - the learning provider, and the employer and we hope to have some local employers at each session who will be able to give visitors an insight into what an apprentice can expect from day one in the workplace.”  

During the week, SERC will be posting features on apprentices from a range of subject areas and at different levels on our website and social media platforms, including (above) Charlie Clarke (19), from Bangor, a Level 3 Apprentice NI in Mechanical Engineering employed by Lakeland Dairies and Stephen Smyth (17), from Newtownards, a Level 2 Joinery Apprentice employed by Dougan Contracts Ltd.

SERC will also be releasing short films featuring Apprenticeships at Camlin, Thales and have been working in partnership with Ards and North Down Borough Council who have commissioned films on All Age Apprenticeships as well as on Higher Level Apprenticeships in Cyber Security and Business.

Above (L -R) Stephen Smyth (17), from Newtownards, Level 2 Joinery Apprentice employed by Dougan Contracts Ltd, Victoria Boyd, Training Programme Manager, SERC with Charlie Clarke (19), from Bangor, Level 3 Apprentice NI in Mechanical Engineering employed by Lakeland Dairies.