SOUTH Eastern Regional College (SERC) has become one of only two providers in Northern Ireland to be approved as an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test centre.
IELTS is the world’s most popular English language test for higher education and global migration and is designed by experts to assess the language ability of candidates who want to study or work where English is the language of communication.
As a result of the prestigious accreditation, this means people will no longer have to travel outside the region to take the test. It will also provide employment opportunities for those interested in becoming examiners, invigilators and script markers.
Thompson Keating, SERC director of corporate and economic development, explained: “The achievement of this accreditation represents a major milestone and raises the bar for excellence at SERC, taking our international provision into the global market place.
“We believe that achieving this certification is a testament to the quality training we provide and reinforces our reputation as a dedicated training venue which reflects the high quality learning environment we seek to offer.”
Accreditation was confirmed at a recent meeting of the college and the director of the British Council, Richard Halstead.
In order to become an approved IELTS test centre, SERC had to undergo a rigorous inspection of its facilities to ensure they were of the highest standard.
IELTS scores are accepted by over 8,000 organisations worldwide for educational purposes, immigration requirements, and professional registration, covering areas such as accounting, engineering, law and medicine and for employment in sectors such as banking and finance, government, construction, energy and natural resources, health and tourism.
The exam is also used for acceptance into universities and colleges in non-English speaking countries where English is the language of instruction.
It is internationally recognised for ensuring quality, consistency and fairness in international language testing and as such, there is a huge demand for IELTS exams from both native and non-native speakers with over two million IELTS tests taken worldwide in the year ending May 2013.
There are more than 900 IELTS centres, in over 130 countries, with SERC being one of two IELTS providers in Northern Ireland.