Tag: construction trade association

Local MP visits SELECT HQ and adds his support to ongoing campaign for regulation of the electrical industry

A visit by their local MP has added further high-profile support to the long-running campaign for the regulation of the electrical industry being spearheaded by SELECT, Scotland’s largest construction trade association.

The campaigning body for the electrotechnical sector in Scotland recently hosted Owen Thompson MP, Member of the UK Parliament for Midlothian and SNP Chief Whip, at its headquarters at The Walled Garden outside Edinburgh.

During his visit, the MP said that, while aware that the issue of protection of title for electricians was under consideration in the Scottish Parliament, he would now seek to raise the matter in the House of Commons and would add his name to SELECT’s Wall of Support.

Meeting with SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson, Director of Employment and Skills Fiona Harper, and Specifier and Client Relations Manager Yvonne Wilson, Mr Thompson discussed a number of other construction sector issues, including procurement and payment.

The MP said: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet the SELECT team. I have been aware since my days as leader of Midlothian Council of the good work the organisation carries out on behalf not only of electricians but of the construction industry in Scotland as a whole.

“I am very happy to lend my name to the campaign for regulation of the electrical industry. It is an idea whose time has come, since it can only be common sense to assure the public that anyone who presents themselves as an electrician is appropriately qualified and registered and that those who work in the industry do so in a safe and competent manner.

“I fully agree that seeking to regulate electricians could have a significant positive economic impact, as well as helping to reduce the numbers of deaths and injuries caused each year by fires or electric shocks.”

During his visit on Wednesday April 13, Mr Thompson also engaged with his hosts on the importance of a collaborative public sector procurement system and a payment system which made sure that customers pay on time and in full.

While taking a tour of the HQ, he also visited the dedicated SELECT Training Centre, where the Training and Technical departments deliver a huge range of SQA-accredited courses for businesses and organisations across Scotland.

SELECT’s Alan Wilson said: “It was our pleasure to welcome Mr Thompson to our HQ and to have meaningful discussions about matters which directly affect our members, particularly recognition and the ongoing problem of late and withheld payments.

“Mr Thompson’s interest in our activities is indicative of a continuing groundswell of support for our campaigns, with a number of MSPs and other trade associations putting their names to new bricks on the Wall of Support.”

Ms Harper, who is also The Secretary of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), said: “I am sure Mr Thompson appreciated that safety is at the forefront of everything we do as an organisation and that we will not rest until protection of title makes the industry as safe as it possibly can be.”

Mr Thompson’s support comes after four MSPs and two major industry organisations recently added their names to SELECT’s Wall of Support, which shows organisations and individuals supporting the call for regulation of the electrical industry.

The Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) and Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) both signed up to the online resource, along with Conservative MSPs Maurice Golden, Tess White, Russell Findlay and Jamie Greene..

As SELECT’s campaign for recognition of the industry continues to gather pace, it is now planning meetings with other MPs and MSPs in the coming weeks and months to add further names to the wall.

SELECT urges response to electrical sector consultation

As the long-running campaign for professional recognition of electricians in Scotland nears its final stages, SELECT has warned that the clock is ticking for those who want to help influence the sector’s future.

Scotland’s largest construction trade association is reminding professionals that the deadline to respond to a second consultation on the regulation of the electrical industry is Friday February 12 – and is urging interested parties to take part before it’s too late.

The consultation was launched by Jamie Hepburn, MSP, the Minister for Business, Fair work and Skills, and SELECT says the fact that further parliamentary investigation into regulation is being made is an extremely encouraging sign.

It also points to a first consultation by Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, which closed on November 10 last year and received more than 140 submissions, more than 90 per of which were positive.

Alan Wilson, Managing Director of SELECT, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the levels of support we have received, and the huge range of people who have publicly backed us through channels such as our Wall of Support.

“This second consultation another great opportunity for the industry to take part in and shape the future. It is a further chance for Scotland to demonstrate that we are committed to a safer industry and we would urge that all interested parties make their submission to the latest consultation.”

SELECT argues that only government legislation can bring about “comfort and security” for customers across the country and end the scourge of unqualified people passing themselves off as electrical professionals.

Among those who have responded to the latest consultation are the Civil Engineering Contractors Association Scotland. 

Grahame Barn, its Chief Executive (below) , said: “It seems a glaring anomaly that when virtually every other trade in the UK is regulated, that no such scheme operates for electricians.”

The Supplier Development Programme has also taken part, with manager Gillian Cameron saying: “Protection of title could reduce the amount of evidence required by public sector buying organisations into a single certification to determine if electricians are competent to carry out work in Scotland.”

SELECT has been campaigning for years with other leading industry bodies, such as the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT), to ensure that those who work in the industry do so in a safe and competent manner.

Its campaign, which has been raised in the Scottish Parliament, is being backed by membership bodies, industry figures, professional services and individuals from across the country – and has received unprecedented levels of cross-party support from politicians.

Monica Lennon, MSP, who currently is challenging for the leadership of the Labour Party in Scotland, said in her Wall of Support message: “Poor quality electrical work carries huge risks to people’s homes, their businesses and even their lives.

“It is vitally important that consumers are helped to make informed choices whenever they employ an electrician.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “I fully support the importance of using professionals in all aspects of construction work, be they multi-million-pound contracts or small domestic works.

“It is vital that we ensure only properly trained, qualified and competent people carry out these works.”

Mr Wilson pointed out that any real and effective change must be underpinned by legislation. He said voluntary regimes have never addressed the issue of dangerous and poor work often undertaken by unqualified or partially qualified persons.

He said that the Scottish Government needs to introduce a package of measures which must include Protection of Title. Establishing a single register based on the existing SJIB model would provide the comfort and security to a customer that someone calling themselves an electrician was qualified and competent.

Mr Wilson said: “There is a strong economic case for legislation. Scotland is investing £1.6 billion over the next five years in decarbonising the heat in buildings and it makes sense that those undertaking that programme are trained, qualified and competent.

“But there is also a social side. Protecting title and making the role of electrician a profession will lead to greater interest in the industry and more opportunities for women and ethnic minorities to join it, which would be a significant advantage to us all.”

·        The latest consultation can be completed here.