SERC Excellence Awards Celebrations at Bangor Campus

Students, staff, friends, and family gathered at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) to celebrate the best of the College community, at the annual SERC Excellence Awards for Bangor, Newtownards and Holywood Campuses (16 April).

Guests were welcomed with a drinks reception before certificates and awards were presented in recognition of outstanding student achievements and staff success.

Awards were presented by Guest Speaker, Pete Snodden, Broadcaster and DJ, best known as the voice behind the hugely successful breakfast show on Cool FM, for 19 years.

Pete gave a lively and entertaining speech where he recounted his journey into broadcasting. He encouraged the students to be persistent, to turn up, to get experience and never underestimate the value of qualifications. He said, “Getting something – a job, an opportunity – is only part of the journey; make plans, set goals, seek advice, show your passion, believe in yourself, and take action.  Prepare for failure but never give up and don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do something.”  He congratulated all the students and staff on their success and wished them the best for the future.

This year, the College was delighted to have headline sponsorship support from SSE Airtricity, who also supported the category award for the Apprentice of the Year. Category awards were also sponsored by Ards & North Down Borough Council for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award and UK Healthcare for the Champion of Health and Wellbeing Award.

Following the presentations, a Vote of Thanks was given by Vikki Pinkerton, SERC Student Governor.

Master of Ceremonies, Michael McQuillan, SERC Governing Body said, “This evening is all about celebrating the efforts and achievements of members of the SERC College community.  We celebrate the success of a number of our students in their courses, highlight and reward activity in areas such as entrepreneurship, and work with the Student’s Union – an important part of the college experience – and celebrate staff, both teaching and non-teaching, who have been nominated by students and colleagues who want to highlight their impact on the SERC community.

He added, “At SERC we aim to be a world-class college.  We are committed to playing a part in supporting companies and individuals in Northern Ireland to grow and thrive.  SERC’s role is to deliver the skills, knowledge and attitudes which are necessary for businesses and organisations to flourish in the global context.

“I congratulate all students and staff on their achievements for which we are all very proud.”