Students Hone Hospitality Skills in Fuerteventura

The students, Danielle Donnelly, Charlotte Houillebecq, Megan Douglas, Erin Horner, Jameson Cheuk, Ethan Hopkins, and Rebecca Carlisle participated in a two-week, fully-funded work placement in Fuerteventura in May.  

Sheena Hunt, Hospitality Lecturer at SERC and one of the team which accompanied the students from Bangor, Downpatrick and Lisburn campuses, said, “Placements for the students were in two hotels, Arena Suites and Arena Beach Hotel, in the popular holiday destination of Fuerteventura. Our students gained valuable experience working alongside full time members of staff in both the restaurant and bar areas of each property, which provided the opportunity to develop their customer service, teamwork and communication skills, at the same time experiencing the Spanish culture. The majority of students commented positively about boosting their communication skills through interaction with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.”  

She added, “For some of the students, this was the first time they were away from home; four students applied for passports before travelling, which demonstrates that these opportunities widen horizons. The students had to manage their own finances, got to experience living and working in a different country, and had the chance to develop relationships with students from other SERC campuses alongside the people they were working with as part of their placements. Placements such as these are a further step to the students becoming independent young adults. They raise their aspirations and confidence and can be life-changing.” 

She concluded, “All the students were a great asset for the hotels, offering professional assistance to the many British and Irish tourists, as the language barrier was lifted.” 

Speaking about the work placement, Bangor student Charlotte Houillebecq, from the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Food & Beverage Service course  commented, “What I liked the most about the trip was the opportunity to speak to customers from many different countries. Every day we were learning new things about tourism, hospitality and the Spanish culture.”

Jameson Cheuk, from Moria, from the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Food and Beverage Service course at Lisburn Campus said, “I really enjoyed the customer service part of the placement. I enjoyed working with different people from different backgrounds. 

SERC was the only FE College in Northern Ireland to complete what is known as student mobility visits in 2021/2022. 

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