SERC Student wins Overcoming Adversity Award - Spirit of NI Awards

Congratulations to SERC Financial Services Apprentice, Joe Traynor (22), from Bangor, who has been been announced the winner of the Overcoming Adversity Award in the Spirit of NI Awards.   Joe was one of four inspirational people shortlisted for the category.

The young man, whose focus and determination, belies his years, shared his story as part of our Apprenticeship Week campaign.

On track for a sports degree at university, Joe Traynor’s family life was turned upside down when his mother suddenly and unexpectedly passed away after a brief illness in 2018.   But the resilient young man found that an apprenticeship programme could help secure his future.

Joe, 22, from Bangor, was a BTEC Level 3 Sports student at South Eastern Regional College.   He said, “I was planning to go on to do sports at university but my mother, Linda, took ill and very suddenly passed away. Myself and my brother Jack, who was 17 at the time, went from having a stable home life to turmoil.   Right then it felt like we were suddenly very alone in the world and although we have good family support now, at the time it was like a hurricane had knocked the wind out of us.   We were grieving the loss of our mother and had to rethink what we thought was a straightforward path.     

Joe said, “I couldn’t think about going to university then and the focus for me was to get a job and start earning money to support us. I didn’t know what way to turn but thankfully had the sense to talk to the Careers team in SERC where I met Careers Advisor Julie Wilson.   She really helped get me back on my feet, making enquiries and finding out about possible job applications I might make.   It was through Julie and her colleague Ryan Wiseman from the Business Services team, who have tremendous links with local businesses, that I heard about an opening for a Financial Services Apprenticeship. Ryan put me in contact with Brian Shannon from Primis Mortgage Network and he helped me secure an apprenticeship with 14U Financial Solutions in Bangor.

Joe continued, “Right now I am doing well.   My life has taken a different path and I am on a new steep learning curve.   My role as an Insurance Advisor involves meeting clients and giving them advice on things like their Life Assurance, Critical Illness Cover, and Income Protection arrangements. Basically, my role is about helping families protect themselves against facing financial hardship, whether that be in the event of death, illness or injury.   I have personal experience of what can go terribly wrong in the blink of an eye. My mother didn’t have any life insurance so myself and my bother struggled financially.

Joe, who recently passed his Mortgage examination, is continuing his apprenticeship training to advise on mortgages as well as protection.  He said, “The plan is to continue working hard to develop myself as a fully fledged Financial Advisor.   There is so much scope for a career in Financial Services and there are plenty of routes to take in the industry along with the potential for setting up on your own as a Financial Advisor.   It is not all number crunching and there is great variety in the work.   No two days are the same as I am often out meeting clients to discuss their needs, office based or working towards the next step in my Apprenticeship.”

Joe concluded, “You often hear about apprentices earning whilst they learn, but for me, my apprenticeship has been a life-line.   It has given me focus and the stability to prepare myself for a career and a future which is somewhat brighter than this past year.”

Congratulations Joe from everyone in the SERC Community.

Joe's story will be featured in this weekend's Sunday Life, 22 August.