A local college has been praised for creating a new initiative which lets students earn back their fees in a range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) courses.
South Eastern Regional College (SERC) launched the STEM initiative in May 2012 in order to help those who wanted to study a STEM course. The cost of course fees in the past held them back. The initiative works by allowing the students to study and successfully complete their course; following this they receive a full rebate for their fees.
The initiative has proven a success and enrolments in STEM courses at SERC have risen by 185% since the start of the promotion. Sinn Féin MLA for South Down Chris Hazzard praised the College saying:  ‘The importance of science in education cannot be understated. Colleges that prioritise science and technology are helping us to create a workforce that can fill skills gaps in society helping to drive our economy forward in these difficult times.”
Ken Webb, Principal and Chief Executive of SERC explained” ‘Our aim is give students the skills that are needed in local economy. These STEM areas have been identified as the areas of growth for jobs in the future and we want students to be prepared for these.”
The initiative has been added to an existing range of financial incentives on offer for part time students including a 75% discount for unemployed students and 50% off for those aged over 60.
Enrolment and application is now open for these courses which include HND Computing and Systems Development and HNC in Manufacturing Engineering. For full terms and conditions please visit www.serc.ac.uk.
