WRAP course gives Lorraine a Step Up into work

A Bangor woman who completed a free, short Step Up course at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) says the programme made her realise she had much more to offer than she had thought. 

Lorraine Morton, who is 54, had worked for years in administration after achieving qualifications at the college in its previous incarnation as North Down and Ards Institute. Then, as so often happens, life took an unexpected turn, and Lorraine became a full-time carer for her mother. She says that after a time, she wanted to get back into employment but found it hard to find any job with the hours and flexibility she needed. She then found out about the fully-funded Women Returners Access Programme (WRAP) through social media:

“I had been going to job fairs and so on, but then I discovered the WRAP course, under the umbrella of the Step Up Scheme. The course works on your CV and your interview techniques and helps you update your skills. I would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t worked in a long time, whether that’s due to family responsibilities, illness or something else. Everyone in class agreed it was brilliant, and we thought it was great that there is no cost to the student. 

“It was good to meet other women in my position. There were students who, like me, had qualifications and experience but who all lacked confidence and couldn’t see how we could fit into today’s workplace after we had been out of the employment market for a few years. I realised I wasn’t alone, and we all supported each other through the next steps. We are still in touch now and supporting each other.” 

Lorraine explains that an important element of the course is that it boosts confidence. She says she realised that her years of caring were actually valuable experience;

“People think they don’t have skills to put on a CV if they don’t have an employment record, but so many skills turn out to be transferable! I hadn’t thought of the caring as relevant experience, but you gain so much just by life happening. I was looking for admin jobs until the WRAP course opened my eyes to the other transferable skills I had. I gained the confidence to apply for a caring role, and now I have a job as a wellbeing officer with Crossroads Care, who support carers in the community by providing respite services. It was a challenging interview, and I know that being able to speak from experience gave me an advantage. 

“I take clients out for walks or shopping, or I do hair and make-up if that’s what’s requested! Often the main thing is talking to people who are quite lonely. I also work with young carers; we take them out to socialise once a month. I know how isolating caring can be. And we also try and make sure they are able to keep up with their education and skills, which can be very hard for them. I have been in the carer’s position, so I know how much impact it can have if someone else takes over for a short time and gives you time to yourself – time to breathe!” 

Lorraine concludes,  “I would definitely recommend SERC and the course. You get fantastic one-to-one support and of course you benefit from the social aspect of the class. We had speakers in, women from all walks of life who had set up businesses and so on. It was encouraging and inspiring, and it all goes to build confidence.”  

The next Step Up opportunity, funded by the Department for the Economy, is a Restart Lite course at SERC college campuses in one day per week for 12 weeks, starting in January 2026. The course provides an excellent introduction for those who have been away from education, helping you develop new skills and increase your confidence to study again or enter employment.  For further information or to register an interest, please get in touch by emailing stepup@serc.ac.uk or telephoning 0345 600 7555.  Supported by the Skills Fund, delivering the Minister’s Economic Vision.