18th November 2024

South Devon College students went out on the tiles in Spain – literally – when they visited a slate quarry as part of their apprenticeship. 

Roofing apprentices Kieran Johnson of Western Counties Roofing and Toby Cayless of DT Roofing joined Carl Holman, Assessor Coach in Roofing at South Devon College, on the educational trip, which was funded and hosted by College sponsor Cupa Pizarras. 

^{Students Kieran Johnson and Toby Cayless}

The group flew in and out of Santiago Airport and stayed in the town of Ponferrada. The three-day visit included exploring the slate quarry and processing plant in Medua. They also had a tour of Cupa Pizarras HQ in Medua.  

^{Students Kieran Johnson and Toby Cayless from South Devon College, together with the Eastern Region Training Group and Jess Rowlands from Cupa}

Cupa Pizarras has been producing and distributing natural slate for over 130 years and has a long-standing partnership with South Devon College as one of the roofing department’s sponsors. The working collaboration builds on sharing knowledge and expertise, and the company provides slates and merchandise for the College to use within its curriculum training. The visit was an opportunity for the students to witness the slate production operation first hand, which will enhance their apprenticeship knowledge. 

The learners were surprised by the amount of different types of slate and the quality produced for various parts of the world. They really appreciated just how much work goes into producing a single quality slate. 

Carl Holman, Assessor Coach in Roofing at South Devon College, said: “A massive thank you to Cupa Pizarras for this amazing opportunity to travel to Spain to visit the slate quarry. 

“This was an incredible experience along with the wonderful hospitality provided by Cupa. We learned a lot and got to see how the slates are produced along with the hard work that goes into the entire process.  

“Special mention to Jessica Rowland who made this possible and got everything organised for the trip and made it very enjoyable for us all.” 

Student Kieran Johnson said: “It was an amazing experience seeing where our materials come from and the process behind it and to have met all the nice people during the trip.” 

The South Devon College students were joined by members of the Eastern Region Training Group. 

Student Toby Cayless said: “I loved visiting the quarry, it was definitely something I’ll always remember and feel very lucky to have been chosen for the trip this year.”