South Eastern Regional College (SERC) is hosting Open Days for adults considering a return to education, from 10am - 2pm on Wednesday 20 May at Newcastle Campus on Castlewellan Road, Thursday 21 May at Ballynahinch Campus on Church Street, and 11am to 1pm on Tuesday 2 June at the Downpatrick Campus on Market Street.
Staff will be on hand to provide information, advice and guidance on the courses designed for adult returners and the online application process.
Fiona Neely, Engagement and Projects Manager said, “Restart Education is a free part-time course to build skills in English, Maths, Science, IT and Social Science. It provides adults with the necessary support for learning in a nurturing and welcoming environment which fosters well-being and resilience.
“For those adults who have some qualifications, our Level 3 Access Diploma in Foundation Studies - often referred to as the Access course - is for people who would welcome the opportunity to progress to university. Perhaps they didn’t get the encouragement or grades they needed at school, or life simply got in the way. We are not concerned about what qualifications you have, or don’t have, when you walk through the door. These courses are a fresh start for anyone who feels they missed out or want a second chance.”
Potential students can also find out about Student Finance and Learning Support, and the Little SERC Creche at our Newcastle Campus. The creche is fully equipped and professionally staffed and offers care, play and learning for babies, toddlers and pre-school children on the same site as parents’ classes. It also offers after school care for children in P1-P2 whose parents are studying in Newcastle Campus. Students may be eligible for a means-tested grant towards childcare costs.
Access Proves Life Changing for Cathy
Cathy McNally never expected to go to college, let alone university, but the woman who went into lock down with a two-week old baby, says she ‘survived’, and came out the other end with a fresh perspective on what life was all about. Following a short course and then the Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Access Studies (often referred to as the Access course), she is now preparing to go Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) in September.
Cathy (46) from Belfast, loved school but she will readily admit, it was more the social side she loved, rather than the work. Following her GCSEs, Cathy started a General National Vocational Qualification, but it didn’t work for her. She left, preferring to work and earn money and found her happy place working in a local pharmacy.
The mother of four children, Cathy was also a foster carer and volunteered on the board of governors for two local schools. Following Covid-19, Cathy wanted something more. Over the years, when she was fostering, the social workers she encountered, often remarked that she would make a brilliant social worker. Cathy laughed this off, having no qualifications, but something touched a nerve with her.
When Cathy was getting her youngest child Edith ready for nursery school, she thought she would have a look at an Access course at SERC. With encouragement from her husband Darren, she went online and came along to meet the tutors and was invited to enrol in a Step Up to Access – a six week programme which opened the route to the full time Access course the following September.
Speaking about coming along to SERC Cathy said, “I had so much baggage - my age, my family commitments, my education background, my lack of confidence – coming into the building itself was a huge step. For me, overcoming this it was about taking just one step at a time. I didn’t look too far ahead. I just kept going. It was coming up to Christmas in the first year of the Access course before I told my siblings what I was doing.
“Whenever I first started the Access course, I never thought it was easy, I was way out of my comfort zone; meeting new people and in new surroundings, I did feel vulnerable. No matter what age you are, or where you come from, you still want to fit in and belong. I was coming from 2 minutes down the road, but I could have been coming from another planet the way I felt. It took time to settle in, but the whole class was settling in, so we did it together.”
Cathy added, “I cannot believe how far I have come. Two years ago, I would never have walked into a new place by myself. Going to an open day at somewhere like QUB would have been a big no-no. But I have done that, it still scared me and made me nervous, but I did it. And I know I have the confidence to go somewhere new, all by myself.”
Speaking about her tutors at SERC Cathy wells up. She says, “Coming to SERC has been life-changing for me. The Access tutors have been the reason I stayed, the reason I continued. Those Access tutors at SERC are a very special team. They do so much more than teach.
“There are different pathways in the Access course and I did biology, sociology and psychology. I had my GCSE English and, as standard, you must do NICATS – this is a numeracy qualification which is built into all Access courses to ensure you are numeracy literate for university. The first one I did I got 99%! I couldn’t believe it. The tutors told me if anyone was getting over 75% they would be encouraged to sit GCSE maths. So I did the foundation level GCSE maths and I got a C* - the highest grade I could have got. I was thrilled!”
Cathy was recognised at SERC’s Student Excellence Awards hosted in Lisburn Campus recently, picking up Awards for Further Education Student of the Year for the School of Engineering and Science, and Overall Further Education Student of the Year for Lisburn Campus.
Speaking about her next steps, she said “Right now, “I have two offers from QUB, one for Sociology and Social Policy and Education Studies but my goal is the Social Work degree. The education journey has also encouraged me to think about research, so I am keeping my options open.”
She concluded, “Everyone thinks they must be in a good place in their life to start something like an Access course. I was coming from the worst possible place I had ever been. The course helped me rebuild my life. This course is not just an academic experience; it is life changing. Whether you choose to go on to university or use it to step on to something else, it will take you to a new place. The tutors never give up on you. All they ask of you at the start of the course is to give them your time. If you turn up for class you will succeed. Everyone is juggling, and life gets in the way, but it is about giving the course - and yourself - importance. And with it will come this amazing opportunity to push open doors for yourself.”
For anyone who cannot attend either Open Day, but would like to find out more, simply email community@serc.ac.uk and one of the team will be in touch.
