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NEWS CENTRE
SERC’s Lizzie Named Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to SERC’s Lizzie Buick, who has been announced as the winner of the Pearson Teaching Award for FE Teacher of the Year in Northern Ireland. Newtownards based Lizzie will now go forward for the UK FE Teacher of the Year later in the year.
Come Dine With Us Northern Irish style
Through funding from the Big Lottery Awards for All, the Community Development team at SERC successfully delivered the latest instalment in their 'Come Dine With Us' series on Monday 13 May at the Lisburn Campus.
SERC Helps Local Business Fight Fuel Theft Crime
SERC provides prototyping services to test early stage design for a new product for local business Commander Securities Ltd.
SERC Help Retrain Montupet Engineers to Compete in New Era
Montupet UK Ltd has teamed up with SERC to retrain and up-skill their maintenance engineers to ensure they have the technical know-how to compete in the modern day marketplace.
Goodluck to Bouncing Babies
Students from South Eastern Regional College’s Lisburn campus are travelling to Central London to present their money management projects to a panel of high-profile judges and battle it out to win the UK Grand Final of Halifax’s Money for Life Challenge.
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SERC Global Enterprise Week Event
Skip Navigation LinksHome > Student Life > Get The Edge

'Get the Edge'

 

South Eastern Regional College help students to develop their ‘Edge’ by giving them as many opportunities as we can to gain better skills and real life experiences. This can make all the difference when applying for jobs or higher education courses in the future.

Students can:

  • Get the qualification they need
  • Improve their skills
  • Pick up brand new skills
  • Build a CV to be proud of
  • Work on projects for real businesses
  • Set up their own business
  • Sample life in their future industry
 
Employers want to see more from our students.  They need students to be ready for the world of work and to have the ability to help their business.  SERC can give students advantages, skills and experience other young people take years to get. Past students have gone on to amazing careers with companies like Coca-Cola and NASA.
 
STUDENT COMPANIES

Student Companies

Student companies give students an amazing opportunity to be their own boss, run a business and take responsibility for everything from making products to selling them to the public. Students will learn skills that are hard to get in the classroom such as creative thinking, teamwork and business awareness - important skills every employer looks for.

Some of our plumbing students did it recently. They set up a company called Copp’Art, which transforms waste copper piping into pieces of art. Mel Black, one of the students involved, said “This has been a great experience. I learned so much which I would never have learned in the classroom, I have developed new skills and this has given me the confidence to think about starting my own business.”

Students have successfully developed the following companies:

        CoppArt - Decorative sculptural pieces handcrafted from recycled copper.
        Glass Umbrella Theatre Company - Fresh, young, touring company performing classic and modern pieces.
        Impressions of Ireland - Unique, handcrafted celtic-themed giftware.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

Volunteer Programme

Volunteering your time is a great way to learn new skills, meet new people and enhance your CV. There are endless ways to volunteer – from fundraising, mentoring, office work, assisting at events and much, much more!


SERC Volunteer Programme

Through the SERC volunteer programme we can provide you with the opportunity to gain valuable experience through volunteering projects suited to your needs. We aim to engage students who have never considered volunteering and make it easy to find information on volunteering opportunities.

Through the support of a SERC volunteer advisor we will assist you in finding the right project alongside supporting you to achieve a recognised City & Guilds qualification.

Our Mission Statement

The SERC Volunteer Programme works in partnership with a range of organisations to identify promote and recommend volunteering opportunities to all SERC students. Our programme is about making a difference in a positive way by taking our College into the community.

We aim to breakdown stereotypical attitudes of young people and promote our students as positive role models. This programme aims to enhance employment prospects by giving students the chance to develop new skills and qualities and get them real life experiences which are required for employment.

About Volunteering

What is volunteering?

“Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy, for the benefit of society and the community, the environment, or individuals outside one's immediate family. It is unpaid and undertaken freely and by choice.” - Volunteer Now

What are the benefits of volunteering?

                 Gain a recognised qualification;see more on SERC's Volunteer Awards on the Qualifications tab
                 Gain new or enhance existing skills
                 Develop your personal experience 
                 Meet new people
                 Accomplish something rewarding
                 Improve your confidence & knowledge
                 Improve your career prospects

Examples of Volunteering

Students can:
     Care/Support
     DIY/Practical
     Disability - Physical
     Drugs/Alcohol Issues
     Events
     Administration/Office Work
     Advice/Information
     Arts (Music/Drama/Craft)
     Befriending
     Campaigning/Lobbying
South Eastern Regional College help students to develop their ‘Edge’ by giving them as many opportunities as we can to gain better skills and real life experiences. This can make all the difference when applying for jobs or higher education courses in the future.
INDUSTRY PROJECTS

Industry Projects

Students will always be asked what experience they have, and this question will be hard to answer if they have not worked in industry. To help students get this experience SERC team-up with big companies so students get the chance to work with them. They’ll help real businesses solve real problems. They will work in a team to combine all their different skills and knowledge to improve the way that business works.

Our students have worked with companies like Coca-Cola, Royal Mail and the Irish Football Association. That type of industry experience is like gold dust. Scott Elliott, an Engineering Student, worked on a project for Royal Mail.

The company had a health and safety problem as staff were struggling to lift bags which were too heavy. Scott and his project team developed a Mail Bag Weighing System and completely solved Royal Mail’s problem. Students picked up critical thinking, team work and problem solving skills by working directly with the management of Royal Mail.
WORK PLACEMENTS

Work Placements

Getting a qualification is a brilliant achievement and it proves students know their theory, but students can only learn somethings by having a go. That’s why we give students so many chances to get real experience in real companies.

Work placements are another way to get the edge. Our courses use placements so students can spend time working for a company in their industry. Just like our other programmes it lets them learn new skills, try-out different jobs, improve their CV and impress people in the industry.

They can also lead to brilliant career opportunities. Glen Irwin and Jennie Wright, Foundation Degree Sports students got the chance to have a placement with Morzine Ski Chalets in the French Alps.

Jennie said “this has given me a fantastic opportunity to get real experience of work; I know that this is going to help me get a job once I finish my course.”
ENTERPRISE QUALIFICATIONS
Enterprise Qualifications

SERC Volunteer Awards

The SERC Volunteer Awards recognize the time you commit, the skills you develop and the difference you make through volunteering. The awards scheme has been designed to improve your CV by showing employers and others clear evidence of what you’ve achieved as a volunteer during your time at SERC.

Through the SERC Volunteer Programme we offer all students the opportunity to gain credits which can lead to an award in Bronze, Silver or Gold Award to recognise your achievements. We will issue you with a certificate to recognize your volunteering achievements for 10 hours, 20 hours or 30 hours.

             Gold – 30 Credits
             Silver – 20 Credits
             Bronze - 10 Credits

Working as a Volunteer - Obtain a City & Guilds Qualification

If you're keen to develop your career, or if you just want to get some formal recognition for what you do, volunteering can be a route to gaining a qualification.

What are the benefits?


The main benefits for you as a volunteer:

             Motivation and challenge
             Increased skills
             Evidence that may help access to education, training and employment
             Personal development
             Recognition of your contribution

Through the SERC Volunteer Programme we can offer the opportunity to gain a City & Guilds unit ‘Working as a Volunteer’.

Unit aim

In this unit, the learner will find out about how to become a volunteer and make an application for voluntary work that suits their skills and interests. The learner will complete a voluntary work task which interests them and matches their skills.

The unit is based on the following outcomes;
  1. Finding voluntary work
  2. Understand what is expected of the volunteer in undertaking the voluntary work
  3. Be able to undertake voluntary work
  4. Understand that the skills used during voluntary work may benefit personal or career plans
How is this unit assessed?

Assessment is by a candidate portfolio. The learner is expected to be able to apply for voluntary work which matches their skills and interests and explain the behaviours and attitudes needed. After taking part in the activity, they describe how the skills used during their time as a volunteer may be useful in their future or career plans.

A SERC Volunteer Advisor will support you to achieve this unit. Evidence will be generated naturally through the volunteering project.

 
 
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