Lauren Dream Jobs With Farrans

Talented SERC student Lauren Murphy from Lisburn is celebrating having gained a distinction in her HNC in Construction and the Built Environment course, and gaining employment with Farrans Construction. Lauren is due to graduate in September where she will celebrate her success with family and friends.



Lauren gained a unique insight into construction management at Farrans thanks to her placement opportunity, part of her HNC course studied at the College. Following a rigorous selection by Farrans Construction, Lauren received the opportunity to experience first-hand the role and responsibilities of a construction manager and get a better idea of how the industry operates.



Lauren, who studied at SERC’s Lisburn campus, said the experience was invaluable and has helped to shape her career plans. Having completed her HNC, 19 year old Lauren now plans to enjoy and embrace the world of work and return to College in September to complete her HND.



Speaking about the course, Lauren explained that it has helped her gain invaluable knowledge and skills. Thanks to the placement, Lauren gained a range of employability skills which helped her secure a full-time job at Farrans and the opportunity to experience first-hand all areas of construction management, a challenge she thoroughly enjoys.



Course tutor Kim McCoy Johnston explains: “The HNC combines academic study with on-the-job experience. This means students graduate with a specialised set of skills that meet the specific needs of employers. At SERC we are committed to providing students with valuable work placements and development opportunities which allow them to improve their employability skills, add to their knowledge and explore their potential. During the placement programme, students are given the opportunity to work in a busy environment to gain experience, with the aim of helping them secure full time employment. I am delighted that Lauren has got this amazing start to her career. It is just the beginning of a great career for her.”



Speaking about her experience Lauren said: “I would definitely recommend SERC to others who wanted to reach their full potential. The course allowed me to gain the employability skills that are valued by employers thanks to the range of extracurricular activities built into the study. On completion of my HND I plan to progress to university to study health, safety and the environment or construction management. The best thing about the course was the resources that were available such as the learning resource centre, computer software packages and online learning facilities such as Moodle. I am looking forward to my graduation ceremony in September where I will celebrate my achievements with friends, family and my tutors.”



Farrans Construction Proposals Manager John Reid said: “We are really pleased to work with SERC to offer their students the opportunity to gain a real insight into the construction industry. The time students spend with us is a chance for them to gain valuable experience and to help them decide which area they might want to focus on when they graduate. If this is the quality of student SERC produces, then I would recommend them to anyone and we look forward to welcoming many more students to the scheme in the future.”



Photo Caption: Lauren Murphy from Lisburn has built the right ‘Foundation’ for her career by studying an HNC course in Construction and the Built Environment at SERC. Lauren gained distinctions in all of her modules and has since secured employment with Farrans Construction.



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