The increasingly vital role of electricians in today's interconnected world was highlighted again last week (October 13) at an awards ceremony hosted by SELECT, the campaigning body for the electrotechnical trade in Scotland.

The Scottish electrical sector has been transformed in recent years and highly skilled, highly qualified electricians are widely regarded as professionals, with finely-tuned skill sets and weighty responsibilities.

The forward-thinking nature of the industry was reflected in the wide variety of award entrants, ranging from small, locally-established family firms to multinational enterprises employing tens of thousands of people.

The CBI has responded to apprenticeship start data for England between May and July 2017.

Neil Carberry, CBI Managing Director for People policy, said:

“This disappointing data will come as no surprise to companies, who have repeatedly made clear that the current design of the apprenticeship levy system is not effective. Businesses believe in apprenticeships but there can be no argument now -  reform of the levy system is needed urgently to ensure its success.

~ Boulting Group employees nominated for ECITB 2017 Awards ~
 
Employees at engineering solutions provider, Boulting Group, are celebrating having received three nominations for the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) 2017 Awards.
 
Jonathan Duffy, Anthony Dorney and Malcolm Baker have all been shortlisted in the highly prestigious awards, with the winners being announced on October 26 at The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place in London.
 
Founded in 1991, the ECITB is a skills, standards and qualifications body with statutory responsibility for the development of the engineering construction workforce in the UK.
 

The most anticipated dance extravaganza – powerBall 2017 is fast approaching. Don’t miss your chance to dance the night away to the best 70s classics while witnessing the phenomenon of the Saturday Night Fever tribute show. Book your place today to avoid disappointment.

This year powerBall promises to bring you the best entertainment with iconic 70s hits including If I Can’t Have You, More Than A Woman, Night Fever and Stayin’ Alive.

This unmissable event in the electrical industry’s calendar will get each and every one of you dancing all night long to the best entertainment from Madhen and DJ Laura. You will also have a chance to witness the ground-breaking performance of a Saturday Night Fever tribute show choreographed by Nikki Trow.

Incredibly versatile, energy-efficient and discreet, Mirrorstone Infrared Heating Panels are just hitting the market and giving people a radically new way to heat their spaces.

They provide a modern and innovative solution to the age-old problems of too little space and sky high energy bills and users, whether from the domestic or commercial sphere, are being impressed by the sheer simplicity of their design.

• A staple of the British diet, research suggests that tradesmen favour the humble sandwich, with 28% saying it was their go-to lunch option
• A jacket potato with a topping was the second most popular choice with 13% of the vote, followed by soup and bread with 12%
• A staggering 12% said they did not eat lunch at work
• Are you bored of the same old lunches? Enter Parcel2Go’s competition here to be in with a chance of winning the ultimate lunchtime delivery

A new competition is on the lookout for deserving tradesmen to win their ultimate lunchtime treat, delivered straight to them on the job.

A leading Midlands electrical and mechanical company is celebrating after raising thousands of pounds for charity to mark its 25th year in business.  

Orton Group, which specialises in electrical and mechanical design, installation and maintenance, has reached its fundraising target of £25,000, and has handed cheques to the charities selected by its team including Guide Dogs for the Blind, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, and Peter Pan’s Nursery. 

The recent tragic events at Grenfell Tower have highlighted how liability and blame may be apportioned to various parties involved in the maintenance, refurbishment, safety and management of a large building, with the likely cost to insurers – both in the UK and worldwide - running into millions of pounds. 

Arlington have already witnessed direct insurance implications to the fire, with PI insurers now asking specific questions as to the height of, and construction materials used in buildings that firms may be involved in. Certain professionals such as cladding firms and fire safety inspectors are now struggling to buy PI insurance at affordable premiums.

In summary:

• It’s important not to overlook contract terms that set out the terms of a project’s delivery as these could form the basis of a dispute.

• The standard of care refers to how much care a contractor must exercise and sets the benchmark for the quality of service.

• There are two types of standard of care:

o Reasonable skill and care

o Fitness for purpose (more onerous)

• Reasonable skill and care contracts are more common and require that a contractor demonstrates they have acted with reasonable skill and care when undertaking services.

• Fitness for purpose contracts require that the project is fit for its intended use when completed.

An innovative engineering firm and a North East college have kick-started a dynamic partnership to develop the next generation of talented engineers.

Ford Engineering Group has joined forces with Gateshead College to deliver a six-month traineeship which prepares young people with the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to start an apprenticeship in this sector.

A group of 32 successful candidates have now enrolled on the scheme and are studying at Gateshead College’s purpose-built Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing and Logistics, which contains the latest cutting-edge machinery and tooling equipment. 

Leading distributor of fixings, fasteners, power tool accessories and hardware, ForgeFix looks set to repeat its success in using an innovative form of art to raise money for charity.

Earlier this year, the business donated a 1.2m by 1m portrait of music icon David Bowie, which was created using 4000 of its ForgeFast elite performance woodscrews, for sale at a silent charity auction held at the NMBS Gala Dinner.

The picture subsequently sold for £1000 with all proceeds being donated to CRASH - the construction industry charity which supports homeless and hospice charities with free advice, practical assistance and financial aid.

Now, the company aims to go one better with a new portrait of Carrie Fisher.

KIA Motors and Rolec EV have launched a new initiative which will see KIA’s EV and PHEV customers receive a Rolec home charging point, fully installed, for free.

Customers purchasing a new KIA Soul EV, Optima PHEV, Optima Sports Wagon PHEV or Niro PHEV will qualify for the free Rolec home charge point.

Kieron Alsop, Managing Director of Rolec EV, commented: “We are delighted to have joined with KIA Motors to offer their new EV customers free charging points.

“This free charge point installation offer has been made

possible as a result of OLEV grant funding, further subsidised by the KIA Motors and Rolec EV partnership.”

RDM Electrical and Mechanical Services has expanded its management team through hiring a new South West regional manager.

Darren Allen from Bristol has joined the Swansea-based company from Emtec Group to strengthen the already successful RDM team and assist in the delivery of outstanding electrical and mechanical services across the South West.

The installer loyalty scheme that gives installers real rewards

Haverland introduces a new loyalty scheme that gives installers cash in their pocket for every Haverland bought through wholesalers

Haverland, a leading manufacturer of electric radiators and heating solutions, has taken its customer centric approach to the next level and now rewards installers who buy Haverland products with a prepaid MasterCard that can be used anywhere the MasterCard Acceptance Mark is displayed.

The Haverland League is a loyalty scheme that rewards Haverland customers for their continued commitment. For distributors and wholesalers of Haverland products this means they now have an additional marketing tool to offer incentives to increase sales.