When Rebekah Benson, from Lisburn, discovered she could pursue her ambition to be a hairdresser through her local SERC Campus, she was delighted.
Rebekah, now 19, achieved A-Levels at school and knew that after that, she wanted to learn a practical, creative skill like hairdressing. She also knew she needed to start by learning the basics. She says,
“Though I had always wanted to work with hair and makeup, I hadn’t worked in a salon or had any experience, so starting with the Level 2 Traineeship in Hairdressing made sense for me. I had explored the options, including an apprenticeship as my sister had done, but I thought I would learn more at my stage if I was in college every day, so the traineeship would be better for me. We have a working salon on campus and it’s all very professional. We have great facilities; everything is all up to date and we have the latest products. I liked the move to practical learning. SERC is different from school: the tutors are more laid back; and there’s no uniform except a black tunic for work in the salon.”
Rebekah progressed from the traineeship to a Level 3 Diploma in Hairdressing at SERC. She explains, “It’s not a big leap but a progression – the theory is more advanced; we are learning more techniques for colouring hair and different types of colouring, such as highlighting. I love doing the colour, learning how to create them – we have to pick the right shade for a customer and then work out how to mix colours to achieve it. I would say to anyone interested in the work; you get great training here. And it’s a friendly class. After I finish the two-year course, I want to go and work in a salon. But I want to continue learning, too – I am thinking about doing a barbering course so I can add that to my skills.”
Rebekah says her experience at SERC has been invaluable, not only for the skills training but also for the level of help available:
“The support is great. I have a skin condition and staff have made adjustments so I can work with everything in the salon without the substances irritating me. And if my skin gets really bad, learning support at college sourced a laptop I can use if I can’t come into the class, so I can learn online. I would recommend SERC to anyone.”
Apply now for courses starting in September 2026.
Come along to our open evening on Thursday 4 June from 5pm until 8pm at SERC Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards Campuses and explore full-time and part-time opportunities.
