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SERC Environmental Skills Centre

To support businesses in overcoming the challenges of moving to a low carbon economy and to exploit environmental opportunities SERC has created the Environmental Skills Centre, a dedicated sustainable development and renewable technology resource.  This world class facility includes;

 

  • The Energy Renewables Lab
  • The Low Carbon Design Centre
  • Renewable Energy Installers Academy in  Solar, Biomass and Heat Pump
  • The Accreditation and validation Unit
  • The Waste Management and Re-Utilisation Unit.

 

 

Sustainable Ireland Award

 

 

Our team of experts have already up skilled over 1,500 individuals from existing workforces throughout the whole of Ireland. Our students, the next generation workforce, are being trained to meet the current environmental challenges and opportunities in a wide range of industries. 

 

We are investing in research and development, and working closely with Government, Universities and Industry to shape the future of the renewable sector. For example, we are part of the Global Maritime Alliance, the first industry led collaborative community network established by Invest NI to develop and exploit the commercial opportunities of wave technology.

 

SERC has the resources to support you and your business. We have the pedigree to meet the skill needs of your existing workforce and the track record to deliver a future workforce equipped to deal with the environmental challenges and opportunities. We have the scale and the resources to research and develop practical solutions, and we have the expertise to support others to find the solutions.

 

SERC will:

 

  • Provide training to up-skill your staff
  • Support you to improve processes such as waste management
  • Provide technical support in the use and implementation of renewable technologies

 

Call us on 028 9127 6695 for further information.

 

Meet The Team

 

Thompson Keating

Director of Corporate and Economic Development

Thompson is responsible for Human and Financial Resources, Corporate Assurance and Economic and Corporate Development.   He has spearheaded the development of SERC as a leader in the sustainable development and renewable energies sector.

 

Terry Francis MBE

Head of Business, Innovation and Development

Terry is a qualified engineer and heads up the SERC Business Development and Innovation team, managing links between industry and education.

 

John Nixon

Head of School – School of Construction and Engineering Services

Educated to Postgraduate level, John has worked in the education sector for over 15 years.  Prior to this he was employed in the plastics industry for 10 years.  John now heads up the School of Construction and Engineering Services across SERC.

 

Paul Henry

Assistant Head of School - School of Construction and Engineering Services

With over 20 years industry experience, Paul has worked within the mechanical services sector on commercial and industrial installations across the world and is a key expert in the area of sustainable development and renewable energies.

 

John Ross

Lecturer and Project Manager for FE/HE collaboration project on renewables

Educated to Masters level, John has been employed at SERC for 10 years.  He is widely acknowledged to be one of the leading experts in the field of sustainable development and renewable energies in Northern Ireland.

 

Simon Wood

Environmental Skills Business Specialist

Simon holds a Masters in Environmental Management and is employed by Mason Evans Partnership.  He formerly worked for White Young Green and Parkman. In his career he has worked in some major waste management and brownfield redevelopment schemes.

 

Brendan McGuigan

Environmental Skills Business Specialist

Brendan is a mechanical engineer who currently works for Invest NI.  He started his career in the automotive industry with Montupet (UK) Limited as a product engineer, where he worked on a wide variety of engine development and manufacturing projects. 

 

Kenneth Douglas

Waste Management Business Specialist

Ken is a Chartered Waste Manager and a Chartered Environmentalist with 30 years’ experience in Waste Management. He previously worked with Down District Council before establishing his own consultancy business.

 

Andy McCrea

Environmental Skills Business Specialist

With over 35 years energy industry experience Andy is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist.  He has previously worked with Action Renewables and NIE, and now sits on a number of government bodies including NI Energy Holdings Board, the MCT tidal turbine Science and Communications liaison group and The Department of Agriculture RE Stakeholder Group.  Andy has also published a number of books on renewable energy.

 

Ryan Collins

Waste Management Business Specialist

Ryan is a Waste Management Specialist and a CMI Chartered Manager.  He has previously worked for Mash Direct Ltd, PRM Ltd and Mount Charles Catering Ltd.

Courses

 

Our team of experts are continuously upskilled and work with industry to provide high class training to meet industrial needs.

 

SERC provides a wide range of specialist training in the following areas:

  

  • Heat Pump Installation
  • Biomass
  • Solar Technologies
  • Energy Assessment
  • The Code for Sustainable Homes
  • Wave and Tidal Energy
  • Deep Geothermal Power
  • Energy Storage
  • Passive and Zero Carbon Homes. 
  • Sole provider of the Building Research Establishment Energy Assessors training for Northern Ireland. 
  • Waste Management


If you are interested in any of the courses listed below please contact us to get a full breakdown of course content from one of our experts.

 

Partnerships 

We are very focussed on collaboration. For example partnerships with companies such as Ferroli, Willis, Solar Siphon, Dimplex and Baxi, ensures that our experts, students and clients have access to the latest industry standard equipment and advice.  We are currently developing International links with organisations that have global reputations in sustainable development such as the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh.
 
“I have been very impressed with the level of knowledge and skills these young people have gained at SERC.  A significant part of their course covers cutting edge aspects of renewable and sustainable energies; these are invaluable skills which I have been able to put to good use on a daily basis within my company.”

Hugh Savage, Company Director, Ardminnan Construction

 

“We have worked in partnership with SERC for a number of years and continue to be impressed by the lead they are taking in the area of renewable energies.”

Michael Doran, Director of Action Renewables

 

“The Global Maritime Alliance is pleased to include South Eastern Regional College as a valued member to its global network. In order for a skilled, mobile and adaptable workforce to be available to serve the growing renewable energy sector in the coming years, it is pleasing to see that the college’s curriculum has adjusted to cope with this demand.”

Michael McSherry – Programme and Contracts Manager, Global Maritime Alliance

 

“We are delighted to align ourselves with South Eastern Regional College. We believe this partnership will bring our growing company further expertise, a higher calibre of workforce and above all help us develop our new and exciting products that will help us provide our customers with zero carbon homes.  We are looking forward to our future with SERC and the possibilities it will provide.”

Brendan McCrea - Managing Director, Warmfill

 
 
 
 
 

Research & Development 

 

SERC has developed close working relationships with a number of Further and Higher Education learning providers, including Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster. We have collaborated on a number of research projects and advised on government legislation relating to the ‘green technology’ sector. A number of these initiatives encourage businesses to work in conjunction with education providers to find innovative solutions for environmental issues ranging from Construction to Wave and Tidal energy.

 

SERC is part of the Global Maritime Alliance, the first industry led collaborative community network established by Invest NI to develop and exploit the commercial opportunities of wave technology.

 

Specialists for consultancy

Our dedicated team of environmental specialists have many years of experience behind them having delivered results for private and public sector organisations. We also partner with others in the sector such as Carbon Zero NI and Action Renewables to ensure that businesses are getting the best advice and support available.

 

Access to additional resources

If you have an environmental project which you need additional resources to develop and implement we can help.  Programmes such as the Knowledge Transfer Partnership and Innovation Vouchers will allow you to tap into resources at low cost and risk.  We will cut through the paperwork and help you access funding to pay for services such as research, marketing or business improvement or to recruit a member of staff.  The focus is on helping you to find and implement innovative solutions.

 

Your future workforce

Your future workforce is here.  There are 4,500 full-time students studying at SERC, all being prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.  You can access students, with the latest skills and knowledge, through apprenticeships and projects.