ASSOCIATION NEWS
A commitment to end top- down, government-driven solutions, in favour of greater dialogue with industry including the electrical and fire industry sectors post-Grenfell, has been welcomed by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). The trade body for electrical contractors has applauded the UK government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2. With electrotechnical systems key in any new build construction or ongoing maintenance of a building, ECA welcomes the introduction of a single regulator and chief construction adviser to streamline and reset processes. It also supports three specific changes: the introduction of stringent and regular electrical safety checks for social landlords; moving responsibility for fire safety functions to MHCLG; and consulting on minimum energy efficiency standards for buildings. Mike Smith, ECA Director of Technical and Safety, Health and Environment and FSA Secretary, said, “By accepting all the recommendations in the Inquiry, the Government has started on a journey to make electrical safety and fire engineering a significant part of future regulations.” ECA WELCOMES COMMITMENT TO INDUSTRY DIALOGUE POST- GRENFELL
Growth remains flat as skill shortages & volatile pricing persist A SHORTAGE OF SKILLED ELECTRICIANS REMAINS THE INDUSTRY’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST BUILDING ENGINEERING BUSINESS SURVEY…
The biggest obstacle to sector growth is a shortage of skilled electricians for the 12th quarter in a row, according to the latest Building Engineering Business Survey. The survey is conducted by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) in partnership with electrical contracting association SELECT, the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation and the Building Engineering Services Association. Over a third of respondents cite a significant shortage of qualified electricians as holding back growth in the sector, a perennial issue for the last 36 months. ECA said sentiment in the industry is summed up by one respondence, ‘The only way we can sustain our workforce with quality skilled labour is to train them ourselves’. Andrew Eldred, ECA Chief Operating Officer, said, “The electrical industry is the backbone of the net-zero transition, but the sector is struggling to train new talent at the required scale or speed. The issue is not just the recent drop in apprenticeship starts—there is also a fundamental disconnect between further education and employment. “Fewer than 10% of individuals completing
government-funded, classroom-based electrical courses progress to apprenticeships within a year. This means thousands of enthusiastic young people keen to enter the industry are unable to do so because the system does not have the capacity to support them.” VOLATILE MATERIAL COSTS Material costs are of increasing concern to respondents, with 23% citing this as a major issue. With fixed price contracts agreed many months in advance, a volatile world leaves many contractors out of pocket by the time the work is completed. Rob Driscoll, ECA’s Director of Legal and Business, said, “In an industry where net-zero demand is growing within wider construction stagnation, uncertainty over trade tariffs and a volatile geopolitical environment is flattening anticipated growth. “The practice of fixed price contracts can leave contractors out of pocket with no recourse to recouping costs, which is particularly damaging for business interests. “Businesses in the supply chain are most exposed to price fluctuations. ECA suggests taking advice before agreeing fixed price contracts with expected completion dates many months ahead.”
www.eca.co.uk
ECA - T: Alfie Watterson, NI and ROI Regional Manager, +44 (0)7971 141911 - E: alfie.watterson@eca.co.uk
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