The Quick-Step Academy officially opened its doors this week to eight floor fitters from across the UK and Ireland looking to hone their laminate and wood flooring installation skills.

Aiming to facilitate the professional development of flooring installers in the UK and Ireland, the Quick-Step Academy is one of the largest laminate and wood floor training facilities in the world. Spanning 6,880 sq ft, the Quick-Step Academy offers a variety of dedicated floor training courses delivered by expert staff providing fitters with official Quick-Step Accreditation.

Every aspect of floor preparation, floor installation, finishing and maintenance is covered, giving fitters the chance to enhance and develop their existing skills. A 20 sq m sanding area is also available to provide refinishing and sanding training for engineered and solid wood floors.

The courses on offer include a basic foundation course suitable for beginner flooring installers looking to start a new career in flooring. The Master Installer course is designed for highly experienced floor fitters a wood sanding and finishing course and the Quick-Step flooring Apprenticeship program. Defined by lively discussion, practical installations and one to one mentoring, the courses will appeal to junior and novice flooring installers with varying levels of experience, according to the company.

The courses also offer the business benefits of becoming a Quick-Step Master Installer. Darren Robinson, Training, Learning & Development Manager for the Quick-Step Academy explained, "Quick-Step want to create a lasting business partnership with floor fitters and flooring retailers who come through the Academy's doors and support their businesses in the long-term. Fitters or retailers who complete the Master Installer course successfully will be able to offer their customers a two year installation warranty backed by Quick-Step, the floor fitter or retailer will also be listed on Find an Installer on our website, proving our commitment to our partners."

Other benefits include an ID card, exclusive discount on DeWalt tools, access to Quick-Step Master Installer clothing and van stickers, as well as POS for their retailers."

"The opening of the Quick-Step Academy marks a new era in the training and professional development of flooring installers," Robinson added. "The Academy aims to fulfill the industry's training and development needs through implementing comprehensive courses that lead to certified accreditation by the manufacturer, ultimately allowing consumers to choose Quick-Step endorsed flooring installers who they know they can trust."

Supported by the UK Government's TrustMark initiative that recommends local tradesmen and businesses, whose website receives 300,000 consumer searches a month, the courses can also help flooring installers gain a NVQ qualification in flooring. Located in Manchester the Quick-Step Academy is ideally located for floor fitters in the UK and Ireland to attend the floor installation training courses.

Course dates are now available and all courses can now be booked on the Quick-Step Academy website. For further information, visitwww.quick-step-academy.co.uk.