Anna, who is 18, completed her GCSEs at Saintfield High School before enrolling on the Level 2 Traineeship in Hospitality & Tourism Team Member (Food & Beverage Service) at SERC. She first heard about the college from a careers teacher at her school, and later attended an open day at the college, where she talked to hospitality tutors and decided SERC was going to be her next step.
Anna comments, “I enjoy the different modules we learn about, which include tourism, food safety, barista skills, learning about the hospitality industry and much more. I have also taken part in Project Based Learning, working in teams with other students. One project I was working on was an idea for a coffee shop in Bangor in which my team and I put together a PowerPoint and presented it to our tutor; it was fun because my long-term goal is to own my own coffee shop someday.”
“As part of the course, I got a work placement at No.14 at The Georgian House in Comber. The work I did was mainly based around service, so taking orders, giving out food and clearing tables. Once I passed my barista exam, I occasionally did barista duties too. The staff in the Georgian House were lovely and as a result of my placement there I got a part time job last summer as a kitchen porter. I’m now taking a break from it to concentrate on my studies but would love to return this summer.”
Anna concludes, “My overall experience at SERC has been fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone. My tutors especially have gone above and beyond for me and the course itself is interesting and fun. It gives a great insight into the hospitality industry and gives you opportunities to further your career as well.”
Apply now for courses commencing September 2026. Come along to our Full-Time and Part-Time Open Evening on Thursday 4 June 2026 at our Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards campuses from 5pm - 8pm.
