Beth says, “I missed out on most of secondary school because of my chronic illnesses - I was pretty much housebound for three years due to my health, so I couldn’t complete my GCSEs the traditional way. Once my health recovered, I decided to enrol on the SERC Restart course in 2023 so I could ease back into education, then went on to complete my Maths and English GCSEs in the evening classes offered at SERC Bangor campus. As the Restart course also gave me some other GCSE equivalents, it built up my qualifications, and I was able to enrol on my current Level 2 Traineeship in Art and Design.
“On the Art traineeship, I really enjoy how we can explore different mediums of art and different techniques with the help of our tutors. The tutors are really enthusiastic about us trying new things and encourage us to not be scared about making mistakes when creating art, which really helps bring out the fun in class. During the week we get time with different tutors who specialise in different areas of art, which is great for learning as we can get specialised feedback and advice.
“At the beginning of the year, we had lots of workshops on different techniques, which helped build our confidence in experimenting with art. The workshops covered print-making, ceramics, painting and photography. Later in the year. we were given art briefs to follow and work on individually as if we were receiving an actual commission from a client, which gave us a great look into what life could be like as a working artist. With each module, we’ve also had the opportunity to showcase our work in the foyer of the art department so other members of the college can come and see what we’ve been working on as they pass through.
“As well as all this, our class has collaborated with other students from different courses to photograph them for their portfolios. Working with them in the SERC photography studio contributes to the traineeship placement part of the course and gives us a real look into what it’s like to work in a professional studio environment. It was so much fun to build a relationship with the client students and to put our ideas together to create photos we both loved. Our tutors taught us how to operate the photography studio and how to use lights and cameras that a professional photographer would use, and since we were also taught how to use programmes like Photoshop, we could also improve the photo quality for our student clients digitally.
“I’ve met so many life-long friends of all ages and backgrounds while here at SERC - it’s been a real highlight of my experience. It’s so nice to connect with people who have also been through similar experiences with school and illness and to know that you’re not alone going through something that can feel so isolating.”
Looking to the future, Beth says, “I hope to move onto the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Art and Design at the college - I really feel like the traineeship has given me a good foundation for moving onto the next level.”
Beth concludes, “I’d definitely encourage anyone to study at SERC. Coming from not being in education for years, SERC has built my confidence tremendously and has changed my old mindset of not believing I can build a career for myself into a new mindset of believing I can do whatever I put my mind to. It’s such a welcoming learning environment where you’ll meet students from all walks of life. I started the college as a shy and anxious seventeen-year-old and now I’m the most confident I’ve ever been and feel as though there is a place for me in the academic world, where I felt lost before. Overall, it’s been an amazing experience!”
Apply now for courses commencing September 2026. Real Learning for Real Life #BetterOffAtSERC.
