Education is ‘family business’ for Jake and Nic

We are all familiar with young people following in their parents’ footsteps, but sometimes this concept works the other way, with parents taking the lead from their children. Such was the case for Nic (Nicole) Morrison who followed her son Jake, a Level 3 Barbering student, to College. The young man is on his own learning curve but couldn’t be prouder of his mum and the positive change returning to education has made for her.

Jake (18) from Lisburn said:

“I enrolled on the Level 2 Barbering at SERC’s Lisburn Campus after my GCSEs at Fort Hill Integrated College in Lisburn and, after successful completion, went on to Level 3 Barbering, also at the College’s Lisburn Campus.

Jake said:

“I had no prior experience of barbering, so the Level 2 was fantastic as it gave me a great foundation to progress. I also took on a summer position between the courses and this really helped me hit the ground running for the Level 3 Barbering. The course is full-on, as you are just here for a year and there is a lot to pack in. The lecturers are great though and it is fun and enjoyable.” 

He continued, “It is a very practical course, and it makes sense that the more practical experience you get, the better you are at handling the barbering clippers and speaking to clients with confidence. I am in SERC three days a week and a lot of what we do in that time is practical.   We also learn the biology behind skin and skincare.   Every client is an individual and you never know who is going to walk through the door and place themselves in your chair, so you have to be able to tailor the service to their needs. One of the biggest challenges for me was simply speaking to clients.   I have come a long way from when I first started at SERC and realise my confidence has grown.”

Speaking about how he feels about his mum following in his footsteps and returning to education he said:

“I am really happy for my mum. She has been ‘just mum,’ and what I really mean, ‘a great mum’ for 18 years, but now she is out doing something for herself on the VTCT NVQ Level 2 Nail Services course here at Lisburn Campus too. It has been a real confidence boost for her, and she is so happy. I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

The young man who is filled with enthusiasm and ambition said, “I am hoping to build my experience of barbering through employment next year, and then I would like to return to SERC to do hairdressing. My long-term plan is to own my own unisex salon with, of course a nail station for mum!”

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