CUPA Natural Slate and Newcastle College Launch New Training Initiative For Roofing Installers and Contractors of the future.

CUPA, the world-leading producer of natural slate, and Newcastle College, one of only eight colleges in the country to offer specialist-roofing courses, have joined forces to run an accredited training programme, which focuses on working with natural slate. The programme will be used by Newcastle College in conjunction with the roofing syllabus for Level 2 NVQ Qualification students, which has long been a popular course.



The training programme, ‘Specifying Natural Roofing Slate’, has been developed by CUPA in response to growing demand for natural slate as roofing material in the UK. Slate’s popularity in recent years has increased not just because of its visual beauty but also because it is durable, versatile and comes with good environmental credentials. It is also high on the list of architects and specifiers because it offers greater scope for creative expression, so understanding how to work with slate, efficiently and effectively is now more important than ever.



The ‘Specifying Natural Roofing Slate’ programme has been designed to offer an insight into the production and stringent quality control process involved in the production of natural slate as well as practical advice and guidance on uses and installation. Commenting on the programme, Tom Dalziel, Cupa Area Manager who will be involved in the programme’s implementation said, “At CUPA we are committed to the ongoing training and support of roofing contractors and installers and thetraining programme is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about the various stages in the production process and the critical importance of quality control measures”.



For the practical elements of the programme Cupa slate is being supplied to the college, free of charge, through distributors Burton Roofing. Alyn Carr, Lecturer, Newcastle College said, “We are really excited about working with CUPA. The materials that are being supplied to us would usually cost thousands and the on-site visits are invaluable for the students. We look forward to a long working relationship with CUPA and look forward to developing further opportunities for students in the near future”.



As part of the training programme Cupa and Newcastle College are also running a Student Of the Year Award, which will recognise key learning and application achievements. The winning student will have the opportunity to visit one of the sixteen quarries owned by CUPA in Spain. The trip will provide further insights into the quarrying and production process.