Taylor Stewart, Northern Regional College brickwork trainee and Colin Michael, Project Manager from Heron Bros, at the College’s new Ballymena campus.
After leaving school in June 2023, Ballymena teenager Taylor Stewart was unsure what to do next. He had no clear career goal but since the idea of working in the construction sector appealed to him, he went along to an Open Day at Northern Regional College to explore his options.
Now, almost a year on, Taylor has found his niche.
Having signed up for a NI Traineeship in Brickwork at the College in September 2023, he has almost completed the first year of the two-year course. He loves what he is doing and is totally focussed on completing his Level 2 Brickwork traineeship. Taylor is also completing Essential Skills qualifications in Maths and ICT and, when he completes Level 2, hopes to progress to Level 3.
As a Level 2 Brickwork trainee, Taylor spends four days each week in class and one day on-site working with Heron Bros, the main contractor for the College’s £51million new campus development in Ballymena.
The impressive new campus will amalgamate the College’s current three sites onto one central campus at Farm Lodge. The 16,800 m2 campus is scheduled for completion in March 2025 and will be ready to welcome students for the start of the 2025/2026 academic year.
Taylor admitted that although he did not enjoy learning at school, he would have no hesitation encouraging school leavers to consider doing a traineeship at their local FE college:
“I’m enjoying being a trainee and think it’s a great way to learn skills. I get a chance to put practice the skills I’m developing at the College when I work on-site. Working on-site also makes what I’m learn in class seem relevant and helps me realise the importance of working hard at Essential Skills, particularly Maths (Numeracy).”
Taylor added that thanks to the traineeship, he has an exciting opportunity to be involved in a major building project in his hometown and said he is looking forward to telling people in years to come, that he helped build it!
Taylor Stewart, Northern Regional College brickwork trainee onsite at the College’s new Ballymena campus.
Colin Michael, Project Manager with Heron Bros. for Northern Regional College’s new campus in Ballymena said he is very pleased with how well Taylor has fitted in:
“A successful traineeship is a great opportunity for young people to get into a specific vocational area. Taylor has taken to working on-site very well. He has a positive attitude to his work and is keen to earn from the experience of others.”
The NI Traineeship programme provides a high-quality work based vocational education and training for specific sectors. It is designed to equip young people the necessary skills and qualifications to secure employment in their chosen occupational area. It can also be a stepping stone to a Level 3 apprenticeship or, alternatively, a Level 3 Further Education course.
NI Traineeships will be available in the following areas: Animal Care; Art and Design; Barbering; Beauty and Nail Services; Brickwork; Business; Carpentry & Joinery; Childcare; Computing; Engineering; Hairdressing; Hospitality and Tourism Team Member; Health and Social Care; Media and Communication; Motor Vehicle; Performing Arts; Plumbing; Professional Chef; and Science.
The majority of NI Traineeships typically take up to two years to complete on a full-time basis although some, including Art and Design, Barbering, Beauty and Nail Services, Business Services, Childcare, Computing/ICT, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Media and Communication, Performing Arts, Science, Sports, and Travel & Tourism can be completed in one year.
For further information on trainee opportunities at Northern Regional College, contact Sean McAleese, Training Manager sean.mcaleese@nrc.ac.uk.