testimonials

We have been running professional courses now for over 5 years now from our North East Plastering / Tiling Training Centre and we have had hundreds of testimonials and comments left on in dependant Tiling / Plastering forums or sent back to us by e-mail or letter about how past trainee's have found our courses.

Here are some of them

Hi all,

finished the 4 day plastering course and the coving course yesterday and would recommend this course highly to anyone, i had my doubts about whether 4-5 days would be enough to cover all the essensials to go out and plaster for a living, the way Derek explains the different aspects of the course is fantastic and really easy to follow, there were 3 people on our course and everyone was amazed with the finish they produced. Start your own business or even if you want to tile your own house this course has everything you need.
Thanks to Derek and Darren for all their help. Paul, Manchester

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Hi,
completed the 8 day course earlier this month and had to register my agreement about the high standard of the material taught.
I came on the course having completed a few plastering jobs and already had a fair idea of what being a plasterer involved but the techniques that Derek taught me totally revised my way of working. a big thank you to Darren, for covering the whole spectrum of being a self employed from the business advice that tells you how to get the most cash out of the plastering game. The 35 years experience that Derek brings to the classroom really does show as most people on the course had done no plastering before, yet everyone had the same perfect finish that you would pay a professional plasterer to do in your own home by the end of the course. Top notch course that i would reccomend to novices or like me if you have done a little already, Best Regards Tim, Blackpool

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Hello all, just thought i'd write a short letter to say some thank you's. I completed the plastering courses at Plastering Training North East and i'd just like to say what an outstanding week it was.
I went on the course purely for DIY and do up the house we have just bought, but am seriously considering starting up once i have done the jobs for myself and family. The level of instruction given by Derek was top class and with Debra looking after us with tea, it was a really enjoyable week and a great laugh as well and i would recommended it to anyone thinking of doing a plastering course.
To Derek, Darren and Debra many thanks again. John, Glasgow

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I would just like to let everybody know how great this course was. I went to Plastering Training North East a few months ago. As I had to travel over 200 miles to get there hoped it wouldnt be a waste of time or money. IN FACT IT WAS THE OPPOSITE great value for money (why waste time on a four week course when Derek teaches you all you need to know in 5 days?)

The course itself is very intensive, i was there from 9am till 6pm every night. The way Derek teaches is straight forward and to the point. There are loads of different situations that you are in on the course and each one is taught perfectly with all the tricks of the trade.
Before this course I had never picked up a trowel before,When I got home my first job was in a new build house, I had a bathroom (all walls around 25sqm) and 3 bedrooms to do with ceilings. Derek always said you would be really nervous on your first job but you would settle down straight away once you got going and your first job would pay for the course fees and all your tools. He was dead right.( I hav'nt stopped since). Comming back for the Tiling course so i can multi skill as people are asking me if i can tile after the plastering, more money to be had

Big thank you to Derek, Darren (business guru) and the lovely Debra who is always so helpfull on the phone. Paul

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Just a note to say thanks

We both came to the course having no experience in plastering at all, found the course very easy to follow and had a great time there as well, been finished 4 weeks weeks now, we have both taken the plunge and started up our plastering business and have done a few bathrooms and a staircases which went very well and straight forward, I now have a few more jobs lined up and I am confident to go out with what I have learned on the course to make a good go as a plasterer , say hi to everyone there for us, regards Dave and Terry, Sunderland

Done the 4 day plastering course and all i can say is fantastic, didn't know what to expect as ive never done anything like it before exept a little tiling, didnt realize how much is involved with plastering, the course was very well laid out, the right mix of practical work and background theory, i was pleased to get all the notes that were handed out as a backup, once we read through them things just seemed obvious what to do. I would recommend anyone interested in learning how to plaster to have a chat with Debra in the office who is so helpfull with any of your questions . 10 out of 10 for the course. Big thanks to Derek and Darren, from Andrew,Gateshead

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Plastering Training North East

Just a quick email to thank you all for the most enjoyable week ive ever had, the buz at the end of the course was fantastic as everyone was looking at what they had done over the last 5 days and had achieved, biggest thanks goes to Derek for all your patients in dealing with us all, you get the skills over in a really easy way to take in, got my own job to do then think im gonna give it a go and make some money at it, wish me luck Tom

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Hi Derek

Just wanted to thank you again for looking after me so well on the course, took me a day or so to grasp it then i was off thanks to you, couldnt believe the finished plastered room was done by me at the end, Was a bit daunted at doing a ceiling until i found out that it was pretty straight forward, still got to think a little which way to cut the mitre angle on the coving though, thanks to the notes you gave us it comes back realy quickly, see you soon for the extra 4 days, from Gazza, washington

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Hi Lads its tony the builder from Newcastle, thanks for a great course, just what i needed as plastering has never been my strongest part and allways used to get someone else to do it, not any more, excellent course, doing all my own from now on, Darren you are the man when it comes to making money from a business, the tips were superb, cheers matey

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To everyone at Plastering Training NE, Thanks for a remarkable course never believed how much you could learn in 5 days, talked to a few tradesmen before i came on and they were a bit negative about short courses, they were wrong, i hadnt done any plastering before comming to you and was really supprised at how quickly you can pick things up with a little guidance, everyone on the course done a cracking job, from rendering brick walls to the coved plaster skimmed ceilings, as you know i got all the tools from you and have jobs lined up to do, the extra ££ will come in handy for xmas. Rob, Sedgefield

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To Derek and Darren

I attended the course in September after being made redundant and thanks to you both i am now running my own business and doing OK, wasnt sure what to do after getting the chop and was a bit worried so thought i had nothing to loose so dove in, im enjoying the freedom of being my own boss and business is going steady, a little slow but as you said the speed will come, im making a living and things can only get better, made a few contacts like Darren said, the business side is invaluable, done exactly what he said and he was dead right, best regards to all the staff, coming back to do the Tiling course to add another skill as i popped in to see what was going on there and talking to the lads on the tiling they said it was a great course too, see ya all soon Tomma

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Hi to all the plastering team

Just like to say a massive thanks for the training i done, couldnt believe the progression from day to day and the finished results anybody would be proud of. Just put my skills into practice doing up my own place and have some paying jobs lined up, im gonna start off easy and build up as i can only do weekends at the moment, Many thaks again for all the confidence and skills that i have now, Stephen from Whitby

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To Derek all all the team

Thanks for a great week, full of laughs and learned loads, cant wait to get out there on the public, setting up my new business next week, got van sorted and a couple of customers lined up allready, thanks for all your help on the course from Mark, Leeds

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To all the staff at Plastering Training NE, would just like to say a big thank you for such a fantastic 5 days, from talking to the lovely Debra on the phone i new it was going to be good. I would never have believed the quality of the finish that everyone had produced in 5 days had i not been there myself, truly amazing what can be achieved with the right tuition, best money ive spent, absolutlty no regrets, would recommend the course to anyone looking at a career in plastering, will be keeping in touch with a few lads that were on the course, Spinks and Tommy, what charicters they were, anyway, i will be back in touch for the tiling, that course looked great when we stuck our heads in for a look, speak to ya soon, Jacko

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Hi to all the plastering team

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To Derek all all the team

Thanks for a great week plastering, full of laughs and learned loads, cant wait to get out there on the public, setting up my new business next week, got van sorted and a couple of customers lined up allready, thanks for all your help on the course from Mark, Leeds

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To all the staff at NE Tiling and Plastering, would just like to say a big thank you for such a fantastic 5 days, from talking to the lovely Debra on the phone i new it was going to be good. I would never have believed the quality of the finish that everyone had produced in 5 days had i not been there myself, truly amazing what can be achieved with the right tuition, best money ive spent, absolutlty no regrets, would recommend the course to anyone looking at a career in plastering, will be keeping in touch with a few lads that were on the course, Spinks and Tommy, what charicters they were, anyway, i will be back in touch for the tiling, that course looked great when we stuck our heads in for a look, speak to ya soon, Jacko

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WOW.... What a great course at NE Plastering training.

I have just completed the 8 day tiling and can honestly say that the knowledge and training received was worth every penny.

Having attended many college and training centres for plumbing, plastering, a useless 5 day tiling and many engineering courses, this was easily the best one.
Don't think the courses are to short to learn, you will get all of the knowledge required to start out in the tiling world.

Having paid out for courses in the past and got very little from them, I spoke to Darren first about the structure of his courses and read feedback on this forum about other peoples views on nett, before driving 220 miles and spending 11 nights away from home.

Anyone who is serious about wanting to learn tiling, this is the course for you.
Darren, Tracey and all of the staff are very helpful, and easy to walk to.
Thanks to you all for excellent course.

Dale, Midlands

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This is the first course i have ever been on and didn't yawn once.

Darren and his really nice missus (Tracey) were great, The course was professionally taught, full of good laughs, covered everything possible with questions being answered with professional knowledge and honesty.

The techniques are so simply when you know how, but it's all the knowing how that you didn't know that he shows you - WHAT!!!
The no mess silicone technique was fantastic and perfection.

Anyway, the 4 days flew over and every evening when you finished you were left buzzing and remotivated.

At the end you receive an attendance certificate and (+ college fee) a level 2 (GCSE A*-C equivalent) certificate.

Well worth the money for the amount of knowledge and skill you come away with. but book quick cos there is a long waiting list.

Cheers Elliot

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finished the course last night and had a fantastic time (Although quite exhausting!)

I decided on a change of career into tiling and did extensive research into what course to take, I was intending on doing a 4 week course somewhere as I could afford it and had finished my last job so had no commitments. During my research

I kept hearing great things about NE Plastering but I was very sceptical of what you can learn in 4 days.
In the end I decided that so many people can't be wrong and if they were I'd only shelled out £400 instead of a grand and a half which you would pay for a 4 week course.

The course was fantastic teaching you all the aspects of tiling and giving you the opportunity to tile your own bathroom bay, Darren teaches you to work at speed and teaches you all the different techniques that you need, I'd never picked up a tile in my life but I finished my bay very quickly to a good standard, ability and speed will obviously come with practise.

You also learn invaluable advice on ways to market yourself and to find work, without these it doesn't matter how good you are at tiling, if you can't find the work you won't earn any money.
This course also gives you the chance to get a recognised qualification instead of a useless certificate that no-one cares about.

I find it better to go on a course like this where your given the knowledge, you put it into practise then you move on and learn something else straight after.

The money you save on a 4 week course will pay for all your tools and give you enough left to tile your whole home so you can work in an actual house instead of a training environment.
If anyone wants some impartial advice about the course feel free to pm me.

I would just like to say a big thank you to Darren, Paul and Tracey, they all look after you and make sure you have a great time

Steve Dibble

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just thought i would give you my honest opinion about this course...its was excellent. darren has over 22 years experience as a time served professional tiler and it shows. he has also taught at college to british standards and he delivers the course in a very professional, efficient manner. he has crammed all his experience and teaching techniques into a very good course and i would not waste 4 weeks of your time and money when their is a guy out their who can deliver the same in a week!

the setting out techniques were brilliant. all your cuts projected onto 1 wall so you know where every tile will be. it took 5 minutes to do this!! his free out curve cuts were amazing. Darren also ensures you have the correct business acumen to succeed. his course wil cover advertising and marketing because lets face it, you could be the best tiler in the world but if you dont know how to get the work in then your skills are no use.

i also did the natural stone course and the level2 accreditation. i am a plasterer by trade and have 21 years of renovation experience so i probably found the course easier than a complete beginer, so bear that in mind when reading this but i have a hnc in building studies so i know a good teacher and a tradesman when a see one.

darrens wife tracey helps the course run smoothly and she is very friendly and helpful so give her a call and she will tell you all you need to know. i will only recommend somebody if they impress me and north east tiling training did exactly that. the week flew by, everything i learned in still in my head, that's how good it is........

all the best Jason

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Hi Folks, I would just like to say what has already been said many times before on here, I thought the course at NE Plastering was really good and valuble experience for me. I done the four day tiling followed by one day natural stone day. Every part i found really interesting and i am looking forward to giving tiling a go as my new career.

Thanks to Darren , Tracey and Colin for all their help and advice.
Hope to speak to you again soon.

Scott from Aberdeen.

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I've now completed the 8 day bespoke course at NE Plastering. Its a fantastic course and covers a vast amount of information and there is plenty of knowledge to take on board. I really enjoyed the 3 day bespoke course taken by Darren.
We covered a lot of stuff in the 3 days and felt they were invaluable. All the advice regarding setting up the business is really helpful. Anyone with some determination wanting to get into tiling this is the place to go.

I travelled from Coventry to complete the course having read the feedback on this site and it was a worthy journey. From my first phone call to Tracey to book my course to the support available on completion.

Thanks guys and i'll be back for the plumbing soon the course looks great.

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I finished my 4 day course yesterday, or should I say very late last night.

First of all I'd like to say that the opinions expressed are purely my own and in no way am I judging any other course available out there and in no way am I an expert on the subject.

What a busy 4 days I've just had. The course offered by North East Plastering Training certainly puts you through it both mentally and physically, but boy does it deliver the goods!

We have covered in 4 days everything from preperation work to adhesives, measuring a job to pricing, we've also covered working on different surfaces, pattern layouts, business sense, advertising, finding work and I could go on and on. A lot of people may say this is too much to take in, in 4 days, and you do have to be tuned in and listening. Darren delivers the course content though in such a way that it's really hard not to understand pretty much straight away the techniques and practices he gives you.

With over 22 years experience as a tiler he can deliver situations from the real world in which situation a certain adhesive would be used, this gives more relevance to the explanations he gives. He also tells you were he has gone wrong and what to watch out for so you don't make the same mistakes when you start out. The course days are long and on most nights it's been close on seven when you leave (8 last night) but when you do go you feel you really know and understand the day as you have a going over session before you leave just to impact the training.

Efficiency is the key as Darren would say and this is what this course is, efficient. No mess, no fuss, straight to the point, here's a demo of what you do, do you all understand, yes, right then get on and do it. For me trying yourself is the best way to learn. For instance day one of actual tiling I went home covered in cement, from my top to my jeans. Day two of tiling and I went home with only a couple of finger marks worth of cement on me, because after trying the technique all day the previous day and making my mistakes then, the second day the knowledge had sank in and I felt more confident and in turn was more able to do the job.

For anyone serious about training in tiling you can't go far wrong in my opinion. I would feel confident today to go to a customers house armed with my knowledge and measure up, quote and then turn up and do the job to a level that would give customer satisfaction. I also feel though that I could offer the customer advise on various aspects of the job in hand, the best tile choice for the job and explain why a particular adhesive was required say and add real value to my service therefore becoming more than just "a tiler". I already have my first 2 jobs lined up, a floor and a complete bathroom, small potatoes to some but hey from little acorns......
Oh yeah Darren also gives out his personal details so you can call him should you ever need to ask any questions, but he also likes to hear back from people to see how they have gone on since they finish the course. this I think makes all the difference. The personal touch.

And lastly but by no means least a big thanks to Tracey (Darrens wife) who is so nice and has all the time in the world to speak to you. Tracey is as enthusiastic as Darren about the course and both of them together make a great team.

Apologies for the essay but I feel I need to cover what worked for me and how good this training is.

Thanks guys.

Eric.

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I was expecting an intense course and it didnt disappoint, the instructor Darren certainly new his stuff and you could tell a great deal of thought had went into constructing the course in the best way for us to learn and make things stick, everything possible was explained in great detail from types of adhesive to under floor heating to self levelling compounds the lot. iv never spent money more wisely.

I attended the natural stone course as well and found it as important as the 4 day ceramic course, im armed with essential facts and information that i can now show off with.

Where am i now? after the course i got 2 jobs from word of mouth within a fortnight which i did at weekends while i remained at my old job and got everything in place, tools van etc, im now advertising and been quoting alot even though its a fairly quiet time of year, im starting a bathroom tomorrow and quoting a health club tomorrow aswell for some re-routing. By the spring i hope to be established and a fine reputation acquired to.

In my opinion if you are looking to become a tiler i wouldn't look past Darren and his North East Tiling Centre, in not the first success and i certainly wont be the last.

Good luck. Michael McMillan

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Well I have just returned from Darrens course in South Shields and can't say enough about the course.

ITS THE DOGS BOLLOCKS!!

Some of the teqniques are nothing short of genius. The instructions were so good that I think I did a feature on my wall in under 25 minutes, I would never ever have thought about attempting to do that let alone know where to start.

If you listen carefully to darren during the course ALL of the information is there. I just hope he doesn't teach too many guys from Fife as I want it all to myself (Darren if you read this I'm Joking NOT)

Im off to price a full bathroom tomorrow and start another job on Monday. I heard myself tell the customer that the job on Monday will be half a day. I can cut around a sink in a couple of minutes thanks to my new found skills whereas previously there would have been much gnashing of teeth and breaking of tiles.

I think other courses will need to go some to beat this one

Keep up the good work Darren from Warren (fife)

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Just completed a course at northeast tiling and plastering training, and would just like to thank darren and tracey,2 very helpful and friendly people, the course was brilliant, very informative and to the point with every aspect of tiling covered ,A must do course for beginners or even experienced tilers who want to improve their techniques, as nothing is left out..Thanx once again guys,,all the best colin p ,

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For anyone looking for a tiling course in Scotland I don't think there are any! For this reason, after much deliberation I chose North East Plastering Training in South Shields because I was impressed with the professionalism of the website, the feedback from previous students and when I phoned for more info Tracy was so informative and friendly she finally convinced me it was the right choice.

I would recommend this course to anyone and cannot believe how much i learned from Darren in just 1 week. I started my first tiling job the day after I returned from the course and have more work lined up in the next few weeks and I haven't even advertised yet or set up my new business venture. Wish I'd done it years ago! ,

Deano

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ive just completed the 8 day bespoke course and i would highly recommend this course for anyone who is thinking of setting up as a self employed tilier as this course takes in everything you will need to know from business structure , banking , dealing with customers tiling training and much much more so a massive thank you to darren and tracey for having me on their course and all the hard work they put into making my stay at north east tiling training an excellent one ,you 2 are stars also a big thanks to their staff , derek , paul and colin who where always on hand to help and answer questions , top blokes , thanks again ,

george clough

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Went on the course beginning of January and it was the best thing i have done. I had never lifted a tile before in my life, i got advised to go on the course and now a have a rapidly growing business... Need i say more???

Just want to say thanks to Darren, Tracey and the rest of the team...

Would recommend the course to anyone

Danny

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I have just completed the 9 day plastering & 8 day tiling course. Derek (plastering) and Darren (tiling boss) were great and I learnt loads during the two courses. You are pushed hard but the results are worth it. All the staff are very helpful and try and answer any question.

I feel very confident starting my own business in plastering and tiling.

I would recommend Northeast tiling to anyone thinking of doing a course in either of these two areas.

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Just finished at NE Plastering Training and would like to say what a great experience it was. The family atmosphere and friendliness makes learning an enjoyable experience.
Darren does not want to turn you into a tradesman, he will give you the knowledge and expertise in tiling to turn you into a businessman. His approach and honesty are very refreshing and the course content is excellent.I have been doing handyman type jobs for years and wanted to skill up on tiling and plastering. I did the 8 day tiling course and the 4 day plastering course. With some skills in tiling i had the opportunity to view the progress of some of the other students on the course. The transformation over the first 4 days was remarkable. Darren took complete novices and with a mixture of enthusiasm and pressure, and a desire to learn from the trainee, had them skilled up, and capable of tackling most jobs.
I have had lots of instruction over my many years, NE Plastering is one place i would recommend to anyone and would defininitely go back to.

Thanks to
Darren, Tracy, Derek, Debra, Ian and the young trainee whose name i never did find out

From Russle

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I can only agree with everybody else's comments on here. I did the 4 day course and the 1 day natural stone and can`t believe the amount of knowledge I received in this time. The teaching is provided in a first class manner and the tips and tricks are amazing. I had done a few jobs for myself before but after doing this course realize how much better and quicker i could have done it. Even if you just wanted to do diy, this course would be a worthwhile investment. But at the same time if your looking for a serious career change this course will provide all the knowledge you will need to go out and earn a living. I can`t recommend this course enough, if your considering a course this one won`t disappoint. Just look at the amount of positive feedback on this forum.
A big thank you to darren, tracey and the rest of the team for making it an enjoyable week

From Mano, West Yorkshire

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Hello - So, I finished the four day floor and wall tiling training at NE Tiling and Plastering last week. Fantastic. It's pitched at the right level for a whole range of people.... I was a complete beginner, but there were plenty of people that had done paid tiling jobs previously on the course.

The direct no-fuss and fun teaching methods, worked well for novices like me, but for sure also illustrated to the more experienced how they've been doing it wrong, or how they can benefit from huge efficiency gains. It's a short course, and quick paced. However, if you simply listen hard, and pay attention, you'll have the skills and knowledge required to get stuck into tiling as a tradesman... AND businessman. Darren, Tracey and team are clearly enthused throughout the whole course, this is evident in the informal and thorough education they provide. I definitely recommend this to those starting out.

Their facilities in South shields are great, and it's nice to see your own handy work on the wall at the end of the course. I certainly had the confidence after the 4 days to get stuck straight into this, and started my first tiling job on Sunday, immediately after the course.... I also got trade discounts on the adhesives and grout etc, as explained on the course. Very happy with the results of my tiling, and eager to get stuck into the next one, to improve and get some good experience.

Cheers
James

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Hi, Just want to leave a quick message- This is a fantastic course that delivers exactly what it sets out to. I read a few feedbacks before going on the course so won't repeat all the praise that has already been heaped upon Darren, Tracey, Colin and Debra. I will say that Darren is one of the best teachers I have met and I will be back for the extra 3 day course. I have a few jobs lined up already and am very confident about completing them professionally. The best advice I could give about this course is LISTEN TO DARREN and also to ask any questions (except on Friday afternoon when everyone else wants to get away) no matter how daft they may seem - you will always get a constructive answer - I am living proof of that. All the best to Darren, Tracey Colin and Debra, I had a great week even though I was very ill.

Regards Donald

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Hi, got back Friday night after the 5 day course with my head full to bursting point
i know its been said before but Darren knows his stuff and gets it across fast and direct and spot on , there was a guy one the course aswell who fired question after question at Darren which he answered no probs
think i am gonna have this weekend letting my brain cool down as the last time i was in a classroom was 20 years ago
would recommend this course to anyone as you go home with the confidence you need to go out doing the job
1 word of advice dont go in the pub for a few pints on the thursday night thinking youve done the course cos friday is just as full and you need a clear head

From Kingsman

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This is a really good course.

It is a faced paced intensive course and you'll work hard but it's well worth it in the end.

I liked Darren's Straight talking no nonsense approach and the other instructors really know their onions. Tracy and the other office staff are really friendly and helpfull too.

I'd also recommend the extension course as it builds on skills learned on the beginners course. I'm well pleased with what I've achieved on this course.

Cheers,
Scruffa

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I have just completed the 4 day tiling course with North East Tiiling and Plastering and also the one day natural stone course followed by the 3 day extension course all of which I would thoroughly recommend

Darren and his staff were very helpful throughout the courses, and the knowledge I gained was second to none. The girls in the office are so friendly and can't do enough to help you, which is much appreciated.

I had no prior experience of tiling, but since the courses I am confident I can start up my own tiling business. The skills and knowledge Darren teaches throughout all three courses are invaluable.

The 3 day intensive course was brilliant because you learn the skills to overcome the day-to-day challenges on tiling jobs and also to be able to design and create your own work of arts.

I cannot recommend this courses highly enough, particularly the 3 day intensive course which is like the icing on the top!!

Many thanks
from Alex in Germany/North Shields

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I have to say there was quite a volume of information to take in and the end of the first day I was pretty drained however once you go onto the practical stuff it all falls into place and Darren starts to make much more sense and is actually a good bloke and teaches you in a relaxed manner and will educate you far more than you thought possible just go on the course as a sponge and absorb all he has to teach you and you cant go far wrong

Regards Chaz

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I attended a four day course(plus an extra day's Natural Stone course) in May. I had never stuck a tile to a wall or floor before then, but now, thanks to Darren, Tracey etc, I have added more and more tiling jobs to my Property Maintenance/Home Improvements business. The course allowed me to become more self reliant and to be able to get rid of an unreliable tiler (that couldn't tile around a sink!!).
My father-in-law is a tiler and went on a course in the south of England a couple of years ago. However, I have been teaching him things for the last month that I learned at North East Tile Training and he has been blown away by them. He didn't realise how simple things could be.
I have practically been turned into a business shark thanks to Darren's business/sales advice and techniques. I have more confidence in my pricing and upselling of extras. It all seems so easy now!

I would highly recommend this course to anyone with aspirations of being a tiler of any level. It was one of the best courses I've ever been on.

Cheers,
Alan Machnik

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I'm no computer nerd and usually too busy to sit on the computer and type so it's took me quite some time to get on here and post something but here goes!
I sat the course with darren a couple of months ago now, and since i did i can honestly say i've been rushed off my feet with work!
When the first job came in after the course i was past myself with nerves wondering if i could do it, could i remember everything i'd been told etc but after all that i got to the job got my head down and everything came flooding back to me.
I dont know if darren uses a technique of hypnotherapy or summit but once on the job i could hear him talking in my head... everything he said came flooding back and the job went perfect... so well in fact that the customer had me go back in the following week to tile her bathroom to get it to the same standard as what i'd done for her in the kitchen.
I've done a few jobs now and all have gone relatively straight forwards.

This course is fantastic... worth every penny.

All i can say is please dont do it though... cause then you could be good enough to be taking work away from me!

Chris Roper (Roper Tiling)

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Finished my course on Friday and have to say it was far better than I could have ever expected.

Everything is at a fast rate and sometimes you can feel lost, as in what the hell is going on here! However if you just listen and hang in there it will all make perfect sense in the end. It is a course full of knowledge that you eventually realise all comes down to common sense.

I cannot speak highly enough of the course, I had never laid a tile in my life but now know that I have the knowledge and support (either by the notes given or by emailing Darren if needed) to make a go of tiling.

From my financial services background I have been on more courses than I care to remember but never been on one as good as this.

Gareth Davis

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Finished four days plus the natural stone course on the 8th Aug. It is VERY hard work but also very informative and worthwhile. Not done any jobs yet but I have sounded out a couple of tradesmen and darrens idea of prices charged seem pretty accurate, maybe even a little conservative. I had a chat with a local tiling shop manager today and I was more than confident in all the subjects we touched on. So its onward and upwards for me business cards next, then a bit of advertising and marketing. I thoroughly recommend the course but bear in mind when you get home no one is going to do it for you !

Decka

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Just finished the 8 day course and thought it was excellent.
I had a good read of this thread before I signed up for the course as I wanted to make sure that it was the right choice.
Even though it is a short course there is still an incredible amount of detail packed in and it is so fast paced. However I thought Darren was really good at getting the message across and making it stick, taking away the panic of missing things you may have had with a poor instructor. What else I liked about this course too is that is wasnt just the obvious about banging a tile onto a wall either, the running of a business is talked at length too which is just as usefull.
The extension courses ar worth a punt too. The natural stone is a necessity and the 3 day advanced course whch is more relaxed and hands on is a good way to build your confidence
Well worth the money. Cheers

Morton Tiling Services

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Having just completed the 4 day course i have to say Darren not only talks a great course but backs it up with so much skill attention to detail and trade tips that no amount of money could buy. if you want the best then i would recomend NE Plastering Training, its worth every penny

on my course there were 3 people who had never tiled ALL gained the standard to get paid work.

Conclusion Great Course Great Skills Great Backup you get the picture GREAT

Haisethorpe Tiling

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Just finished the 5 day course and all I can say is that it was the best and most informative week I have had! Well worth the money, Darren is a true professional and if you just listen to him you will have more than enough knowledge to not only become a good tiler, but you will also become a great businessman!

Big thanks to Darren, Tracey, Debra, Paul and Colin and I'll see you all on the extension course once my knee has recovered!!

Ryan Clarke

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I have just finished the 4 day plus natural stone tiling course with NE Plastering Traing, it is very intense but for only being a week long you expect it to be. As said many times Darren has a great teaching ability, he cuts out the crap and gets straight to the point. You learn a lot more than just tiling and Darren goes into a lot of detail on the business side of things, can't recommend it enough !
Cheers mate

Andy N Ireland

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Would just like to back up the comments of the many previous on this thread. Have two weeks ago returned from the 8 day tiling coarse after been made redundant having been a printer for 22 years. My trade is finished-digital, China, India. I've 25 years left so have looked at my circumstances positively and decided to hopefully make a career in tiling.

I researched many courses that were nearer to myself in Leeds but followed my instincts and travelled to Newcastle for 2 weeks. Every thing was as hoped, the staff who all combined created a great opportunity for myself wanting to learn, the overall knowledge i've taken on has given me a great base to build from and the main thing is now the confidence that has grown since returning.
I also did the the 2 day plumbing coarse which when booking i was in 2 minds whether to.

My advice to anyone like myself with no plumbing experience is it's a must. It's already gave me now an all round service i can now offer to customers and also make things easy for myself. I've as my first paying job just done a bathroom that needed plying out. From what i've recently learnt the sink, radiator, and toilet came straight out without hesitation, I had the tools i had the method.

The client was delighted with the result. If i hadn't have taken the plumbing coarse i would have tiled around things knowing the result could have been by far better.
The money earned on this 1 job has paid for this coarse so not out of pocket but the knowledge gained is now forever.
Many thanks to Paul whose running the coarse
Cheers to all.

Kev Harrison

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Hi, I completed Darren's 4day tiling + 1day natural stone course back in August. I can only agree with all the positive feedback left so far.
Although I had some experience in tiling the course gave me the knowledge and confidence to start my own business, well worth the trip over from N. Ireland.

Many thanks to Darren and the team,

Jonny, N Ireland

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NE Plastering / Tiling course is honestly the best course I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. The teaching was conducted on an extremely professional level and the whole course was set out so to cram a lot of information in a few short days but done exceptionally well.

Darren, Paul, Colin, Debra and Derek were all fantastic and great people to get along with. I went onto the course having no experience at all, now i can safely see myself as a good tiler.

Thanks guys

Steve D

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I have to agree with all the positive feed back left, Darren and his team they are excellent. From the minute you are arrive you are made welcome and the training Darren provides gives you real confidence in your ability. I have done 2 courses with Darren and although I am still full time Army but with the knowledge I have gained at NE Plastering I am looking forward to becoming a full time tiler in the future. A big thanks to Darren and his team

Hi just completed the course last week, also did the natural stone. It was a fantastic course, I have only did DIY tiling and basically didn't do that good of a job. I didn't realise how much prep and knowledge went into tiling but i doo now thanks to Darren and Tracey. I am hoping to be self-employed in the next few weeks, got appointment with the BIC today and business link tomorrow so fingers crossed. Worked in factories for last 14 years and need a change and want to be in control of my own future. Once again thanks to Darren and Tracey for their support and excellent course. Makame Pete

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