Alissa came to SERC after completing her GCSEs at Bangor Academy. “I decided that I wanted to study hairdressing”, she says, “as there wasn’t anything that I wanted to continue to study in school. I have always had in my mind that I wanted to enrol at SERC as my siblings had studied there previously and always said good things about the college, especially about the staff. So, I decided hairdressing at SERC was the next step for me.”
Alissa started her journey at SERC on the Level 2 Traineeship in Hairdressing before moving on to the Level 3 Diploma in Hairdressing: “My traineeship grew my self-confidence when it came to speaking to people, which developed my communication skills a lot. By the time I was studying the Level 3 Hairdressing course I felt much more confident - I didn’t feel scared or shy speaking with clients during consultations as the traineeship taught me it was simply all part of the job. My traineeship also taught me all the basic knowledge and skills needed to start into hairdressing, so I felt confident and eager to start the Level 3 course rather than apprehensive, as I knew a lot of the foundational skills that the Level 3 course would build on, from blow drys to cuts and colours.
“Currently in my Level 3 Hairdressing class we have been going into more detail when it comes to learning about cutting hair, up styling, giving hair texture, face framing and more. We still have more topics to cover, including creative colouring, which was my favourite part of the traineeship; I loved learning about the different colouring techniques and the science behind it so I can’t wait to expand my skills in that area.
“We also did commercial sessions in the SERC Salon every Friday, where members of the public could come in and get hair treatments and cuts done by us. It was great, because we got to practise what we learnt on actual clients and felt like working in a proper commercial salon.”
“I would say the support systems at SERC are great as they offer assistance in different areas like finance, learning support and careers. They are easily accessible and are always providing students with important information on available resources and how they can obtain that support. My tutors also significantly enhanced my learning experience during my courses at the college. They really took the time to get to know me, and their regular check-ins to see how I was getting on, along with one-on-one assistance when needed, made learning so much more enjoyable.”
“After I finish my Level 3 course I hope to go out and work in a salon, putting all the skills I have developed through my time at the college to use, maybe eventually opening up my own salon.”
Alissa concludes, “Overall my experience studying at SERC has been amazing. As long as you are determined to learn and absorb all the information and skills taught on the courses, you will do great here. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommended the college and my courses to anyone thinking of studying hairdressing.”
Apply now for courses commencing September 2026. Real Learning for Real Life #BetterOffAtSERC.
