SERC Students Secure Places in National Competitions

Three students from South Eastern Regional College’s (SERC) Lisburn Campus have beaten off competitors from across Northern Ireland to secure places in national competitions thanks to their knowledge and skills in specialist areas.

Level 3 Patisserie and Confectionery student Joanne Barlow (26), from Dromara is representing Northern Ireland in the national finals of the WorldSkillsUK for the Confectionery title which will be hosted in the City of Glasgow, 17 – 19 November.  

Joanne said, “I have progressed from the Level 2 to the Level 3 in Patisserie and Confectionery and have loved every minute of the courses. I am delighted to have made it through to the next stage of the competition."  
She added, “I am following in the footsteps of Katie Graham, a previous SERC Patisserie and Confectionery student who was in the last WorldSkillsUK national finals and also from Dromara, and I have been joking that there must be something in the water there, but the truth is that there is tremendous support and encouragement at the College to hone your skills and talent and I love what I am doing.”
Lecturer, Ruth Doherty said, “We are very proud of Joanne and everything she has achieved to date.   She is very calm and organised and is keen to learn, develop and practise her skills. We wish her the very best for the competition.”

Peter Smylie (22) a Level 3 Fire & Security Apprentice from Moria has also made it through to the WorldSkillsUK Finals for the Electronic Security Systems title and his brother Adam Smylie (24), also a Level 3 Fire & Security Apprentice, is through to the finals of the equally prestigious IFSEC National Competition.   Both young men work for Lisburn based Beacon Fire & Security.  Peter and Adam will be heading to Warrington, from 17 – 19 November to compete for a win which will secure a place in the WorldSkills Final.

Peter said, “I have been working away on install jobs which is good practical work for getting me up to speed for the competition.   I am looking forward to taking part to represent the College and Beacon, who have been fantastic with support in terms of allocating time for training and providing great product support.”

Adam said, “Taking part in competitions of this nature is something special to have on your CV for work in the industry and I would encourage other students and apprentices to think about taking part.”

Robin Hamill, Fire & Security Lecturer at SERC said, “These young men put a lot of work into their portfolios, College work and activities.   They are very contentious and supportive of other students and potential students entering the industry. They are the only representatives from Northern Ireland in each category and we wish them every success.”