This time a year ago, 19-year-old Emmalee O’Connell, from Ballyclare, was on the path to study forensic science at university. However, at the last minute she re-assessed her career options – a decision which she hasn’t regretted.
Teachers warned her she was “wasting her intelligence” by not going to university, but Emmalee knew that it wasn’t for her.
“I realised I really didn’t want to study forensic science and that, actually, I didn’t want to go to university at all, so I started looking into apprenticeships,” she explained.
Emmalee had assumed that she would only be able to get an apprenticeship in engineering or a similar trade, so when she stumbled upon the hospitality apprenticeship offered by Northern Regional College and the Galgorm, she jumped at the chance to enter a field she knew she would like and she hasn’t looked back since:
“I couldn’t recommend an apprenticeship like this more,” she continued. “Everyone has been so encouraging and supportive and it’s a great environment to work in. Then there’s the added incentive of earning while you learn, instead of racking up astronomical student debts.”
Her colleague, Jennifer Perez, a 25-year-old Spanish-native who has a Master’s degree in Nutrition agrees. She sees the apprenticeship programme as a “wonderful opportunity” to learn as much as possible about the industry and to get the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in hospitality:
“The apprenticeship allows you to not only earn while you study, but also to really understand what the sector is like – that means you don’t waste time, energy and money on a degree and then realise you actually don’t want to pursue it as a career,” Jennifer said.
“At the Galgorm you’re learning, not just industry practice, but gold-standard industry practice. You’re getting a qualification and you’re also getting a wealth of experience. Moreover, this is your foot in the door – you’re not coming out of university, and thinking ‘what now?’ It’s a natural progression into a career. I think it’s a no-brainer.”