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I recently attended a seminar with Guiliano Digilio of the ECA. I, like the many electrical contractors in attendance, was disappointed and angry with the information given regarding the four-day courses planned for non-tradespeople. These apparently satisfy the NICEIC and ECA in respect to testing, inspection and ultimately certification of electrical work carried out in kitchens and bathrooms by non-tradespeople.

How long before this will be extended to all types of work relating to domestic dwellings?

After years gaining the trust of the public I feel the ECA has let us down. Surely a trade body should promote zero tolerance of non-tradespeople carrying out electrical works at any level.

I can only suggest that our senior representatives have bowed down to government pressure. I would ask the ECA to return to promoting our highly skilled workforce for all types of installation.

Stuart Dickie, Former chair ECA Cardiff & Newport Branch, Director of SummitSkills

Confusion reigns

I feel compelled to write about the impending Part P electrical assessment scheme. It seems as an industry we have created an unwieldy scheme that will do nothing but confuse the public and electricians. At the moment the scheme will ask the public to recognise one of potentially five symbols to identify bona fide electrical contractors.

To me the most successful schemes operate under a single name and logo, eg NHBC and Corgi. By taking the decision to not use a common symbol or name we have resigned our industry to being perceived as confusing and fragmented.

I challenge anyone to take to the streets and ask people to identify the logos of the five groups or even what the scheme is for. At best I suspect they may recognise the NICEIC logo but I would bet money that they won’t know what it stands for.

Is the Government/industry about to embark on five separate publicity campaigns to raise the industry profile with the public?

John Batten, Emcor Facilities Services

Funding farce

Regarding Derrick East’s article (‘Fancy a levy?’ EMC, Nov, p17), the payment of a statutory training fund will do nothing to enhance the numbers or training of apprentices in this industry. All it will achieve is another over-funded quango.

As a personnel and training professional employed by an independent contractor, I have seen how the payment of a levy to a training board [the ECITB] does not work. Estimates state that it receives around £2 million per annum from contractors, who in return have received £100 000 in grants.

The contractors who work in this specialised industry see it purely as a training tax. It has UK coverage, but the number of trainees are far less compared with a non-levied training organisation such as JTL.

The amount of apprentices coming into the industry will not outweigh the severe skills and competence shortage that we will experience in the next 10-15 years. However this will not be solved by a quick fix by electrical contractors throwing money into a levy pot. A co-ordinated approach is required, with all stakeholders involved.

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