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Industry News
JTL SEEKS TO HELP EMPLOYERS ACCESS £3BN OF UNUSED TRAINING FUNDS
JTL is spreading the word on how Apprenticeship Levy funds can be transferred between employers to help pay for apprenticeship training.
The Apprenticeship Levy is a government mandated levy that must be paid by any company with a payroll of over £3 million. It asks that these companies contribute 0.5% of their annual payroll to a levy for taking on apprentices.
However, employers often don’t use all of the Apprenticeship Levy that they are obliged to pay, leaving a reported £3.3 billion of levy funds unspent since 2019.
As such, JTL is reminding levy-paying employers that they can transfer up to 25% of their paid, but unused, levy funds to another employer for use in support of their apprentice training.
Similarly, employers looking to receive a levy payment can request funding directly from another employer or from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
These funds could go towards the training of an apprentice provided by JTL, wherein an employer can receive a new member of their workforce that is supported and managed by a dedicated JTL training officer.
Companies that hire apprentices can increase the efficiency of their business through the onboarding of modern techniques taught to the learners during the practical qualification training that JTL provides them. If the learners are between 16-18, the entirety of this training can be paid for with levy funds.
JTL, jtltraining.com
ESR CELEBRATES 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
On 16 November, the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) hosted a parliamentary reception to shine a spotlight on ‘Enhancing the Standards of Electrical Safety in the UK’ and to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The reception brought together a multitude of stakeholders from across the industry and political sphere and provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made to enhance electrical safety standards.
Guests heard from Lord Foster of Bath, who provided an overview of his Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill, and influential electrical safety campaigner Louise Adamson, who captivated the room with her speech, urging the industry to act to prevent fatalities resulting from unsafe electrical installations and unsafe working practices.
The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the contribution to enhancing electrical safety standards made by the Roundtable over the past 10 years and to highlight its recent initiatives, such as the newly launched Electrical Safety Roundtable Above and Beyond Awards, created to showcase best practice and inspire change.
Electrical Safety Roundtable, electricalsafetyroundtable.co.uk
WEBRO SECURES FUTURE WITH NORDEN
Webro Cables & Connectors has announced that it has been appointed as the Pan-European distribution partner for Norden connectivity and security solutions. The impressive brand portfolio includes NCS, Eyenor, Secnor and NVS. Norden Communications UK is one of the fastest-growing ELV (Extra Low Voltage) Infrastructure Systems manufacturers in the market, with innovation and sustainability at the core of its development.
With its team of dedicated experts that have over 350 years of combined industry experience, demand creation-focused distributor Webro will work in partnership with Norden to drive value-engineered solutions into the UK and Europe. Webro is fully stocked with the latest network and surveillance product offering across Norden’s multiple brands that includes cabling infrastructure, video surveillance systems and access controls. Ahead of the official market launch, the Webro team has undergone extensive training with Norden to ensure outstanding customer service. In combination, the proposition is clear – to support customers with the right product selection for each project, at the right price, and always on time, so that orders can be placed with total confidence.
Webro, webro.com
MAYOR OF SWINDON OPENS DEVELOP TRAINING’S NEWEST TRAINING CENTRE
Develop Training has officially opened the doors to its newest training centre in Swindon, with the Mayor of Swindon attending the opening to carry out the ribbon cutting ceremony. The new centre is located at Unit 3 Richmond House, Edison Park.
With centres opening in Birmingham, Ashford, Norfolk and Brentwood, and both the York and Derby centres undergoing extensive refurbishment, 2022 has been one of the busiest years in the company’s 50-year history. All of Develop Training’s centres are purpose-built and set out to recreate real life working environments.
Councillor Abdul Amin, Mayor of Swindon, says, “It is fantastic to see such a top-class facility in Swindon, it is a privilege to be able to officially open the centre and gain a greater understanding of the courses provided by Develop Training, who have operated in the area for over 10 years. Having this new state-of-the-art centre will create many new opportunities and I wish the whole team at Develop the best of luck for the future.”
Develop Training, developtraining.co.uk
NAPIT SUPPORTS SPARKS LEARNER OF THE YEAR 2023
The SPARKS Learner of the Year 2023 search has begun and once again NAPIT will be providing its technical expertise and continued support of the competition. Members of NAPIT’s Technical Team will be head judges for the competition and have assisted in the creation of the assessments for the learners, as well as donating prizes to all contestants and finalists.
All participants will be given free NAPIT Foundation membership and a £5 voucher for NAPIT Direct, with the finalists receiving digital copies of NAPIT’s EICR Codebreakers, On-site Solutions and Guide to Initial Verification and Periodic Inspection, and Testing of Electrical Installations publications. The winner of the competition will receive all of the above, plus a goodie bag containing a lock-out kit, calibration card, a testing adapter and a £40 NAPIT training voucher.
The competition is split in to three rounds:
• Round one: all regional competitors will complete an online written test to compete against each other to secure their place in round two. • Round two: the top two scorers from each region will complete a series of practical scenario-based exercises and take part in a professional discussion video call. The video call will be with a member of the SPARKS team, a NAPIT judge and representatives from sponsors of the competition. • Round three – the final: the winner of each regional heat will complete a live practical test in May. Each finalist will compete in their own college with a technical expert from NAPIT judging their work for a chance to be crowned SPARKS
Learner of the Year 2023.
NAPIT, napit.org.uk
THE BEST CITIES TO BE AN ELECTRICIAN REVEALED
Across all sectors, the demand for competent tradespeople has seemingly never been higher. But exactly where are the best cities to be an electrician in the UK?
To pinpoint the best locations for trade, Intact compiled a list of the UK’s cities before creating a unique index for different types of tradespersons. This gave five different indexes in total, encompassing electricians, joiners, carpenters, plumbers and plasterers.
These indexes contained data on four different factors: search volume; jobs available; market saturation; and the average hourly rate for work.
Top 10 best UK cities to be an electrician: • Bristol • Edinburgh • Cambridge • Southampton • Cardiff • Manchester • Glasgow • Leicester • Brighton • Oxford
With a total score of 74/100, Bristol is the top city for electricians, offering both the highest demand and the most jobs available than any other place in the country.
If money is a major factor for you, then St Albans and Brighton might be your first port of call. Offering an average of £44p/h and £41p/h respectively, the two southern cities listed the highest-paying electrician jobs that Intact came across.
As for jobs, they were most abundant in Manchester, Bristol and Salford, while Bristol, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Liverpool have the highest demand for electricians.
When it came to the least favoured, Truro, Newry and Lisburn took the bottom three spots, with low demand, very few jobs and poor hourly rates.
Intact, intactsoftware.com
The Electrical Safety Roundtable Above and Beyond Awards (ABA) are now open for entries. The ABA aim to recognise and celebrate individuals and organisations who go above and beyond their legal duty and strive to enhance and improve electrical safety within the workplace.
The awards are open to all individuals and organisations with a notable interest in electrical safety and will be judged on evidence from the past 24 months. The ABA provide a great opportunity to share best practice and promote electrical safety, gain recognition, and provide clients and customers with confidence in products and services.
Categories to enter include:
• Product of the Year • Electrical Safety Initiative of the Year • Changemaker of the Year • Derek Thompson Industry Service Award
Commenting on the ABA, Paul Meenan, Chair of the ESR Workplace group says, “As a group we wanted to provide the electrical industry with an opportunity to get their hard work recognised. Enhancing electrical safety is the ESR’s key mission and these awards will provide a great chance to showcase organisations and individuals’ efforts to enhance electrical safety and hopefully inspire others.”
The Above and Beyond Awards are open for entries now and close on 13 January 2023, with winners being announced in February.
Electrical Safety Roundtable, electricalsafetyroundtable.co.uk
ENERGY REGULATOR CHALLENGED TO EXAMINE UK HEAT PUMP ROLLOUT
Ofgem has been challenged by a leading energy trade body to examine the real-world consequence of shifting homes from gas onto heat pumps.
The CEO of Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA), Mike Foster, has written to the regulator, Jonathan Brearley, calling for a village-sized trial of decarbonising homes using heat pumps.
The trial will mirror what is currently being considered for homes to be converted to hydrogen, another option designed to decarbonise the UK.
Mike says, “A heat pump village trial will replicate what will happen all across the UK if the government decides that hydrogen will not replace natural gas. Such a trial, conducted now, will help inform the regulator and government of the consequences for the consumer.
“Electricity networks will need massive upgrades to wires, substations and even pylons. Homes need assessing for their suitability for a heat pump. That means looking at the fabric of the building itself, its outside space, its internal pipework or even where to put a hot water tank. A heat pump village trial does just this.”
“Ofgem should have the consumer at the very heart of its thinking. Reinforcement of the power network will come at a massive cost; the consumer will foot the bill, so they have a right to know what this is likely to be. They should also be told what is required from them in their homes.
Energy and Utilities Alliance, eua.org.uk
SHORT COURSES ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER ELECTRICAL TRAINING
The head of Scotland’s largest trade body has warned against the rising trend of ‘six-week wonders’ who are trying to enter the electrical industry after taking just a short course in basic skills.
In a hard-hitting interview, SELECT Managing Director, Alan Wilson, dismissed the spread of fast-track courses and said people with inadequate training and experience pose a safety risk to both the electrical sector and consumers.
He also insisted there was no substitute for a proper apprenticeship – and warned that people with ‘pound signs in their eyes’ faced being taken advantage of by rogue trainers offering worthless short courses.
Alan says, “We all know how safety-critical the construction industry is, and the last thing I want is for anyone to spend money on a pie-in-the-sky idea that after six weeks of training they can trot out and start rewiring homes or installing solar PV and battery storage. It just doesn’t happen.”
SELECT, select.org.uk
MILLIONS TO USE ELECTRIC HEATERS AS THEY WORRY ABOUT THEIR ENERGY BILLS
New research released by Electrical Safety First reveals a drastic change in how households will heat their homes, as energy bills have skyrocketed in the last year.
A new survey of more than 3,000 nationally representative adults across the UK has shown 42% of respondents are either definitely using or considering using an electric heater to heat a single room in their home, due to concerns over the cost of central heating.
The latest figure represents an 8% increase, year-on-year, in those planning to use electric heaters this winter to heat a single room in their home, the equivalent of 4.3 million people.
Although electric heaters are not inherently dangerous, they can and do cause devastating fires if they are not used with care, with fan heaters posing a greater risk in the home.
Further findings show how, for many, this change in behaviour will be new, with over one in three (37%) of those who plan to use an electric heater this winter having not done so before, as financial pressures continue to impact more homes.
This new research on likely electric heater use reflects an overwhelming trend of increased worry and concern about the cost of energy, with 90% of those surveyed this year saying they were concerned about the cost of heating their home this winter – up from 78% last year.
The charity is urging households to be extra careful this winter, given the likely increase in their use of electrical heaters and electric blankets, due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Electrical Safety First, electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk
MOVERS & SHAKERS…
JTL has announced the appointment of both a new Chair, Sir John Low, and a new CEO, Chris Claydon. John brings with him over 20 years of experience in a commercial background of technology and engineering, as well as extensive periods in the charity sector. Chris is currently Chief Executive of the ECITB, the skills, standards, and qualifications body for the development of the UK’s engineering construction workforce.
GreenBrook Electrical has announced the appointment of Peter Ratcliffe to the position of Managing Director. Peter joined GreenBrook in 2012 and has been leading the sales operation and driving the business forward since that time. Peter is a well-respected figure in the electrical industry, and has a wealth of knowledge of the sector.
Baxi has appointed Tony Falconar to the role of National Sales Manager to spearhead the growth of its Baxi Packaged Solutions business and ensure a compelling customer proposition for contractors, specifiers and end-users.
