Speaking about the route that she followed she said, “When I first came to SERC I did the Skills for Life and Work course before progressing to the Level 2 Traineeship in Animal Care. I absolutely loved progressing to the animal care course, it was all very new to me, and I made some of my best friends on the course."
She continued, “I loved being on placement and getting to work with all the animals in the animal house – the college’s specialist facility for teaching with small animals – at Downpatrick Campus. We had cats and dogs at home but in the animal house you get to work with snakes, lizards, tortoises and guinea pigs to name a few.
“During the Traineeship, I was on placement at Strangford Bay Alpacas. A full-time post became available after I completed my traineeship, so I applied and got it. I knew I wanted to go back to college to progress but decided I would work for a year and at the same time, I did my GCSE Biology. I was keen to progress and knew that having the GCSE Biology under my belt would really help me progress. The Level 2 Traineeship made me eager to go on to the Level 3 course.”
Having achieved her GCSE Biology, Nicole enrolled on the Level 3 in Animal Management. She said, “I still do a placement one day a week with Strangford Bay Alpacas, so when I am there on a Thursday I am cleaning out the alpaca’s enclosures and pens and continually learning about their care. On the weekends, I work there as a tour guide which involves taking visitors on walks with the alpacas around the grounds."
Nicole is keen to allay myths about alpacas, she said, “The alpacas are amazing. They are real joy-givers. They have a bit of an unfair reputation for spitting, but that is usually llamas.”
She added, “My employers are really fantastic. When I started there, I was a bit shy, but they helped bring me out of my shell. I would never have imagined being a tour guide but that’s what I am doing and I love it. The placement and my work, doing the Traineeship and then the Level 3 all helped me overcome my shyness.”
Speaking about the college she said, “The tutors are really nice and everyone is so friendly. College is a bit more relaxed than school in that you are allowed to be your own person, but you to put the work in to progress and that is made clear to you. If you are stuck on something, you just have to ask.”
Speaking about her plans to the future, Nicole said, “I have big decisions ahead of me as to what I will do after the Level 3. I am interested in zoology or marine biology and farm animals. Right now, I am not sure which path to take want to so I want to keep my options open as I progress."
Apply now for courses commencing September 2026. Real Learning for Real Life #BetterOffAtSERC.
