When she completes her current course in Health and Social Care, Taylor, from Lisburn, plans to go to university and qualify to become a paramedic.
Taylor , who is now 20, began at SERC straight after GCSEs on a Level 2 course - a Traineeship in Early Years. She had studied childcare at GCSE level and as she was good with children, her family encouraged her to continue on that route. However, SERC introduced her to new ideas. Taylor explains,
“I came to an open evening at SERC and as I walked past the clinical training room I was fascinated, but I was persuaded to stick with the early years option. I completed a level 2 Traineeship and a Level 3 course, but the more we looked at issues like childhood illnesses, the more I realised that the healthcare course was for me, so I then moved to start a Health and Social Care Traineeship and progressed to the Level 3 National Extended Diploma I am studying now.
“Moving on from school was exciting – I enjoy the coursework, but the best thing has been the work placement and practical experience. In the Early Years Traineeship, I got a placement in a daycare setting, where you are constantly on your feet. In contrast, when I was a Health and Social Care trainee, I was working with Learning Support at SERC which was a big change, working mainly with young adults.”
Alongside gaining relevant, real-life experience through her traineeship courses, Taylor also got some advice for improving her career prospects from SERC staff:
“We had a talk about careers in health and care and as I was interested in the ambulance service, the speaker suggested that I look at the St John Ambulance organisation to broaden my experience. I am now actively involved in the organisation and it’s great to apply the practical side of my course through that.”
Her experience at SERC has included acting as a class rep which, Taylor says, built her confidence in communicating as she had to speak at meetings. Overall, she says she would recommend SERC to anyone considering their next step:
“The facilities and the classrooms are really good, so you are learning in a real-life setting. There are also great support services – I have allergies, and I had help from Learning Support to create a plan so my tutors would be able to act if I had a reaction to something. There’s also the Students’ Union and Student Finance team - and of course the tutors are so helpful on a day-to-day basis.
“My aim now is to study Paramedic Science at university. Ulster University is the only option here, but I don’t mind if I have to go further afield. I have grown in confidence and knowledge over my years at SERC.”
