Darlington-based Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) has celebrated National Apprenticeship Week with plans for major investment in its training facilities.

Work starts soon on a £400,000-plus re-development of TICA's national training centre and offices, in Darlington.

Plans will see alterations to the existing TICA House, in Allington Way, Yarm Road Business Park, and the training centre to the rear of the building.

The work will mean extra classrooms and meeting rooms are available to staff, members and trainees.

The work is due to be completed in mid-August in time for the academic year 2014 to 2015 – and the next intake of apprentices.

-- Advertisement --

Work will see an extra floor added to the existing single-story training centre, which was built in 2007, and a series of alterations to TICA House.

The development will see practical teaching space increased from 320 to 790 square feet at TICA House as well as a mezzanine floor added to part of the building.

The move will allow thermal insulation training to expand to include the new Advanced Apprenticeship, which will be piloted in autumn, as well as a variety of other, new courses.

The major re-development will allow TICA to increase the number of apprentices, which it can train in Darlington. This will include Scottish students, who will train in Darlington from August 2014.

An extra floor will also be added to the training centre located to the rear of TICA House. The second floor will house a series of offices for staff and managers with space on the ground floor for meeting and training rooms as well as a canteen.

Staff, trainees and visitors will continue to use the existing facilities while work takes place.

The first phase will see the second storey added to the existing training centre and an extension built on the side of TICA House to create more workshop space.

Currently, TICA is training 272 apprentices from sites throughout England and Wales.