Tag: electrical industry

Former government ministers add their support to SELECT’s campaign for regulation of electrical industry

The groundswell of opinion in favour of the campaign for protection of title for electricians has continued into 2024 with a New Year declaration of support from another four prominent members of the Scottish Parliament.

Former Business and Trade Minister Ivan McKee and ex-Transport Minister Kevin Stewart have both shown their backing for regulation of the industry by signing up to the Wall of Support being spearheaded by SELECT, Scotland’s largest construction trade body.

The duo have been joined by Conservative MSPs Craig Hoy and Oliver Mundell as the long-running campaign continues to attract cross-party support from all political factions.

Mr McKee, SNP MSP for Glasgow Provan, said: “Our future heating and energy demands will be met by technology such as solar panels, battery storage and electric heating, which means that electricians will play an ever-increasing role in all our lives.

“Regulation would provide the reassurance that someone calling themself an electrician was qualified to undertake such work and would also enhance the profession’s status and reputation. That’s why I am backing SELECT’s campaign to regulate electricians by introducing protection of title for the profession of electrician.”

Mr Stewart, who is the SNP MSP for Aberdeen Central, said: “Being an electrician is a safety critical profession, so it vital that only those people with appropriate skills and qualifications carry out such work.

“Using a qualified electrician gives consumers the confidence that they are employing an expert who undertakes continued professional development and regular assessments to ensure they maintain the highest standards of safety and technical integrity at all times.”

Mr Hoy, who represents South Scotland, signed up to the Wall of Support after visiting SELECT headquarters in Penicuik and speaking to senior staff last month.

He said: “There are thousands of people in Scotland claiming to be electricians without adequate training or certification. This is a serious risk to public safety, and we need support in law for qualified electricians.”

Mr Mundell, who holds the Dumfries-shire seat, added: “It is vitally important that consumers are helped to make informed choices whenever they employ an electrician.”

The latest expressions of solidarity follows the addition last year of Labour MSP and businessman Foysol Choudhury and leading construction organisations the Building Safety Group, LINIAN, Flexel and Hager.

SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson said: “As we enter another year in our long-running campaign, it is particularly heartening to receive even more support from prominent parliamentarians, particularly those who have served in a ministerial capacity.

“AT SELECT, we feel there is a growing understanding of the validity of the case that is being made for electricians, who will be the professionals we turn to as we transition to net zero and an electric future

“The campaign, which focuses on safety in the home and in businesses, has been a long, hard road, but there is a sense that we are entering the end game and we will continue to focus all our efforts in bringing it to a successful conclusion.”

Mr Wilson added: “The new names on the Wall clearly illustrate that, while the campaign is under consideration in the Scottish Parliament, and has Westminster MP support for raising the matter in the House of Commons, support is still very much a live issue.”

By putting their names on a virtual brick in the Wall, supporters are taking a public stance underlines their backing for legislation in Holyrood which would make it an offence for someone to call themselves an electrician when they have no, or inadequate, qualifications.

SELECT has been leading the campaign for years with other industry bodies, including 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.

As well as more than a third of MSPs, other bodies that have contributed a brick to the wall include Unite the Union, Electrical Safety First, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Scottish Association of Landlords, the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group and the Energy Saving Trust. 

SJIB: ‘overwhelming support’ for regulation of electricians

The Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) says there is now “overwhelming industry support” for regulation of the electrical industry and is urging more professionals to make their voices heard.

The leading construction body insists protection of title is vital to protect consumers across Scotland – and points to a recent consultation in which 90% of respondents said they were in favour of the measure.

The consultation by MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, which closed in November, received 141 submissions, 121 of which were fully supportive, 10 partially supportive, one neutral, three partially opposed and only three opposed.

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “It was heartening to see such a high level of responses from a wide cross-section of the industry and to see so many organisations and individual electricians taking a real interest in the future of our industry.

“It was equally pleasing to see that the vast majority of the responses have been positive about the need for some form of regulation, and that there is overwhelming support for protection of title for the profession of electrician.

“The responses show that there is a real appetite to deliver a bill through the Scottish Parliament as soon as possible to secure the safety of consumers and the integrity of the electrical sector in Scotland.”

Ms Harper, who is also Director of Employment & Skills at SELECT, the trade association, also urged electrician to take part in a second consultation on regulation, launched by Jamie Hepburn, MSP, the Minister for Business, Fair work and Skills, which closes on 12 February.

She added: “These consultations are a major step towards a safer industry and we look forward to welcoming a new dawn for electricians and their customers in Scotland.

“At present, anyone can claim to be an electrician and work on an electrical installation. It cannot be right that those who have completed a full apprenticeship and who work in the industry in a safe and competent manner, can be compromised by those who call themselves electricians but who have no or inadequate qualifications.

“Industry research suggests that the net benefits to Scotland from proper regulation of electricians will total around £58million. We would also benefit from higher electrical standards, a reduction in the number of injuries and deaths, better functioning installations, less need for call backs or for poor/unsafe work to be repaired, leading to improved customer satisfaction.”

The first consultation was set up by Highland and Islands MSP Mr Halcro Johnston in a bid to present a case for regulation in advance of a proposed Holyrood Member’s Bill.

The Bill would be the culmination of a long-running campaign by the SJIB, SELECT and other leading industry bodies to make sure that those who work in the industry do so in a safe and competent manner.

SELECT has spent the past few years campaigning with other leading trade bodies for the introduction of regulation, with its many supporters listed on the online Wall of Support.

In its own response to the consultation, the SJIB said regulation would “significantly enhance consumer, client and public protection and safety while deterring unqualified individuals”.

The body, which sets the standards for employment and apprentice training in the electrical contracting sector, also said any new scheme would bring significant economic benefits and would assist in the drive for a “sustainable skills base”.

In the response, Ms Harper said: “The promotion and utilisation of registered electrical contractors with industry-recognised qualifications would address the scale of poorly installed, defective and unsafe electrical work.

“The SJIB already administers the ECS [Electrotechnical Certification Scheme] which accommodates and recognises the diverse array of electricians operating within the electrotechnical industry. With some additional safeguards, the SJIB could develop a very robust scheme at little additional cost.”

Founded in 1969 by SELECT and Unite the Union, the SJIB’s duties include regulating between employers and employees, providing benefits for people engaged in the industry, and stimulating industry progress. In addition, it has oversight of employment, skills and proficiency, health and safety competence, wages and welfare benefits across the electrical industry in Scotland.