A CARDIGAN college student is on the way to Bosnia this month to help build a fire station.

Cerys Burrill, 19, is working towards a level III qualification in site carpentry and joinery at Coleg Ceredigion, Cardigan.

She is currently part of the Cyfle Building Skills Shared Apprentice Scheme for Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. The scheme has been in existence in Ceredigion since 2013, employing apprentices within the construction industry.

Course co-ordinator Paul Falzon said: “We have linked up with a charity in Carmarthenshire that is building a fire station in the mountains and donating equipment.

“It is a mountainous area and the heat is fierce in the summer. Currently, the nearest fire tender is hours away.

“Cerys will be going out there for a couple of weeks to help build the station’s roof and then the internal fittings. It will be a tremendous experience for her.”

It is not the first time a Cardigan-based apprentice has undertaken such a challenging overseas trip.

Apprentice plumbing and heating student Thomas Reed went on a similar working trip to Uganda as part of the scheme, spending two weeks in East Africa erecting solar panels on a maternity unit.

Cerys already has plenty of work experience under her belt, firstly working with Andrew Scott Construction on the Drefach School project, Lampeter. Following the completion of that scheme, Cerys has worked with local Master Builder David Mayes of Llanarth, Ceredigion.

Cerys said: “When I was leaving school, I started to think about what my next step would be in education. Then I thought about what I enjoyed doing and what I would like to do as my future job which is carpentry.

“I’ve always enjoyed making animal hutches and horse jumps for me at home, I also loved helping my dad to do all sorts of hands on jobs around the house.

“I then went to college and when I was in my second year in collage I was very keen to find an apprenticeship and start work to gain more knowledge and experience.

“My tutor then informed me about trying to apply to work for Cyfle, so I filled out a form and had an interview. When I applied, I really didn’t think I would even get close because of my lack of experience and gender.

“But I did get the apprenticeship and I wake up every day glad to be a part of it. I am learning so much.

“After I complete my level 3 I will be going on to do my level 4 in site management. Not that I want to go off the tools yet but just, so I can get the qualification under my belt for the future.”

And to keep it a family affair, her sister Shannon Haf Burrill, 20, is working towards a level III qualification in plumbing and heating at Hhyfforddiant Ceredigion Training, at Aberystwyth.