Student Testimonials

My favourite part of being on the apprenticeship has been learning new skills. I am employed with A Reid & Son and have really enjoyed doing practical work and receiving on-site training which is giving me a lot of experience in this industry.

If you enrol on this course, you will have the opportunity to control what you make. My classmates and I just made a 35-minute show from scratch based on what we wanted to do, and last year we did a 15-minute show which was brilliant.

I think the course really suits me because I have had great opportunities to showcase my creativity, particularly in the makeup parts of the course which is my preferred area of study.

I really enjoy my course, I am learning so much at the salon and when I am at SERC in class. The apprenticeship route is great as you are building on your skills every day and, as you progress, you gain more confidence and responsibility.

Learning on the job and in college suits me in that I am continually building on my knowledge. I like the variety of the apprenticeship as one day I could be working on a heavy vehicle and another day, working on a van.

The practical aspect of the course is brilliant, it’s great getting hands on experience and having a chance to really improve your skills - I am now ten times the baker I was before I came to SERC.

My course prepared me immensely for employment. I learnt leadership and teamwork skills which makes a huge difference in how I approach my current role in being part of the emergency response plan at Belfast City Airport.

I have gained a lot of knowledge in the practical units but loved the theory too, and how they are both efficiently blended into the course. I liked analysing and creating databases and excel spreadsheets in particular.

I suppose I thought I was going to learn just to cut hair, but there is so much more to it, and by the time you move up from Level 2 to Level 3, you cover colour, design and cutthroat shaving.