Permanent Secretary Meets Award Winning Students at SERC Bangor Campus

Sue Gray, Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance visited SERC to meet with Award Winning students and to find out about the Colleges Entrepreneurship Club.   

Sue Gray, accompanied by Ms Beverley Harrison, Director of Further Education, Department for the Economy, met students Izzy McConkey, Kerri-Melissa Burns and Sarah Scannell from the Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Applied Science who scooped first place in the BT Young Scientist 2019 earlier this year. SERC also won the Best Northern Ireland School and Best Northern Ireland project and Downpatrick Campus student Jordan Stafford was Highly Commended.  

Sue then met with the Enterprise and Entrepreneur team at SERC in the Colleges SPACE facility. Kieran McKenna, Aurla McLoughlin and Lizzie Buick gave Ms Gray an insight into how the Colleges’ Entrepreneur Club is helping students compete on the world stage through a range of competitions and build their portfolios and business ideas as part of their courses and access to support to take business propositions to market.  

This included Engineering students Matthew Connor, Ryan Glendenning, Conal Murray and Issac Kelly from the Downpatrick Campus who developed Slurry Safe, an innovative solution to minimise the risks to farm workers posed by poisonous slurry fumes; and, Level 3 Manufacturing Engineering apprentice students Jake Walker, Cameron McKee,  Daniel McClements and James Coffey who with support developed  Advanced Numerical Control Panel Operating System (ANCPOS), which focuses on replacing manually having to count warp windings and operating winches aboard fishing vessels. The device has been shortlisted for an Invent 2019 Award.  

Finally, Sue met Josh Bell and Scott Hunter, Level 2 Professional Bakery students who’s Short and Sweet Enterprise is producing baked and sweet treats; and, Alicia Johnston, Courtney Cox and Claire Lipton from the Advanced Technical Diploma in Food and Beverage Supervision.  The students have all been instrumental in taking part in SERC’s Season Fairs throughout the year.

Speaking following the visit, Sue Gray said, “I was delighted to visit SERC and to have the opportunity to meet with the BT Young Scientist 2019 winners, engineering students who had developed innovative safety initiative for farmers and fishermen as well as bakery students who are producing and selling their produce.   The amazing talent of these students and the passion of their tutors shone through in abundance.   It was great to hear how the College is supporting and growing new businesses.   Entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive in SERC.”   

Ken Webb, Principal and Chief Executive at SERC said, “We were delighted to welcome Sue to SERC to give her an insight in to the success the students are enjoying this year.   These young people are set to make a difference to the Northern Ireland economy through their research, skills and entrepreneurship.   We place a strong value on our students leaving SERC ready to make a positive difference in the world in whatever path they choose to follow, or indeed, lead the way through their own enterprise.”