9 minute read
Industry News
from ECN January 2021
SELECT OFFERS HELP WITH SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR 2021
Select has chosen not to increase subscription rates for 2021, in a further move to help members cope with the financial challenges caused by COVID-19.
Subscription rates for the next 12 months will stay the same as 2020 for all Member businesses, and follows the three-month subscription refund issued by Select earlier this year.
John McGhee, Director of Resources and Association Secretary, says: “As a not-for-profit organisation, we are here to put our Members’ needs first, so once again, that’s exactly what we are doing.
“It was decided by Central Board and agreed at the AGM in September that there would be no increases to the subscription rates in 2021, and we are happy to roll this out to help Member firms of all sizes across Scotland.”
The move follows the decision earlier this year to issue a 30% discount on 2020 subscription fees, with a total of £329,405 refunded. Members who had already paid their subscription in full received the money back, with those paying by direct debit having only seven of the 10 instalments collected.
The new move is among a number of measures that Select has introduced to help Members through the pandemic, including online training, advice webinars and a dedicated COVID-19 hub.
Select, select.org.uk
ABB ACCELERATES E-MOBILITY INNOVATION
Designed to spur further innovations in e-mobility, ABB’s new $10 million, 3,600m2 facility is based on the Delft University of Technology campus, in the Netherlands and will drive the company’s future portfolio development, as well as R&D projects for electric vehicles.
Along with an investment of $30 million into a global Centre of Excellence and production site for EV charging infrastructure, due to open next year in Italy, the facility in Delft underlines ABB’s plans to grow investments in sustaining its technology leadership.
Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB’s global business for E-mobility Infrastructure Solutions, comments: “Innovation is in our blood – ABB has led the way in EV charging and is proud to have played a key role in driving adoption rates of electric vehicles across the world. That is why we wanted to locate our E-mobility Innovation Lab in Delft, in the heart of the university campus, where we are surrounded by the brightest tech talents and start-ups in The Netherlands.”
The complex will house up to 120 specialists and the E-mobility Innovation Lab has been fitted with the latest technology to ensure that ABB chargers are compatible with all types of vehicle. Simulators have been built exactly for this purpose, with 95% of all tests to be conducted with a digital copy of vehicles. ABB, global.abb
BUSINESSES STILL UNCLEAR OVER IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT
A new engineering services sector survey has revealed that just under one in three businesses (30%) have said they are still not clear about the forthcoming business implications of Brexit.
Only a further third (28%) said they are ‘fully clear’ about the implications of the Brexit transition.
Three quarters (75%) of respondents expect the cost of electrical and electronic products to either stay the same or rise after the transition deadline of 31 December 2020.
However, although over 40% of respondents said product availability was a major factor on the horizon, fewer than one in five (17%) said they expected product availability to be negatively impacted. Half (49%) replied that they expect availability to broadly stay the same.
Rob Driscoll, ECA director of legal and business, comments: “It is perhaps no surprise that uncertainty remains a central theme as we inch closer to the Brexit deadline. However, these figures also reveal a degree of confidence in the sector – confidence in the availability of materials, and of skilled and competent individuals, once we are no longer part of the EU.”
Two thirds (66%) of businesses did not believe skills would be a significant problem after Brexit, and less than a fifth (18%) said they had adopted methods for dealing with skills issues linked to Brexit transition. This figure doubled for businesses with turnover above £20 million.
ECA, eca.co.uk
81% OF UK ELECTRICIANS AREN’T SURE HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY
Social media has transformed businesses in all industries, but despite helping many tradespeople get more work, 85% say they don’t know how to use it effectively.
New research by IronmongeryDirect has explored how trade businesses currently use social media and how many are currently missing out on its benefits.
Almost half (47%) of tradespeople say that having a social media presence helps them get more work, with Facebook being the main platform (22%). This is for several reasons, including the ability to build stronger client relationships (15%), get ahead of competitors (15%) and interact with community groups (22%).
Such is the power of social media, one in six (16%) tradespeople believe it is now just as important, if not more, than traditional word of mouth. Because of this, 45% now actively advertise on at least one social platform and more than one in 10 (12%) use social media as their only form of marketing.
However, despite recognising its importance, the vast majority of tradespeople say they are not using social media effectively. Nearly nine in 10 (85%) don’t know how to get the most out of it, with plumbers the least likely to maximise its potential (90%). Joiners are the most social savvy of all the trades, yet 79% still don’t know how best to use their channels to help their business. Electricians are just behind, at 81%. IronmongeryDirect, ironmongerydirect.co.uk
Half of the UK has a shortfall of more than 50 electricians, according to new analysis into the shortage of tradespeople in the electrical industry.
The study by electrical wholesaler ERF identified Middlesex as the area of the UK which has the biggest shortage of electricians, followed by Surrey and Hertfordshire.
Having analysed data from a job website for all of the vacancies for electricians, the research found there were 574 job openings in Middlesex. In Surrey there were 566 and in Hertfordshire 555.
In total, 56 out of the 112 areas of the UK listed on the job website had more than 50 vacancies for electricians with 15 places having over 100.
On the other hand, with no job vacancies, the Scottish county of Wigtownshire is the area with the fewest openings for electricians. Caithness in Scotland, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, Moray, Scotland, Selkirkshire, Scotland and Sutherland, Scotland, all had just one job vacancy in their respective areas also.
While the alarming shortage of qualified electricians has been a well-documented problem for a number of years now, with more people than ever considering a career change, the pandemic could provide businesses with the perfect opportunity to address this pressing issue.
The research by ERF aims to encourage companies within the industry to invest in the electricians of tomorrow and to aid those within the trade currently out of work find a job. ERF, erfelectrical.co.uk
The Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) has issued a reminder that from 1 January 2021 the new requirements for Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) ECS occupations will become compulsory for all new (initial) card applications, meaning that all new applicants will be required to hold a pathway-specific FESS assessment for the ECS occupation being applied for.
The new Occupational Qualification Structure introduced by the FESS industry and leading to Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) Card recognition is aimed at promoting higher standards and skills and advancing the standards of professionalism and competence in the sector.
The new structure has been developed by an industry-wide working group formed by leading trade associations and employer representatives. Uniquely recognising the introduction of the FESS Trailblazer, the new structure sets the standard for new entrants to the market at Level 3 whilst also addressing the need to recognise the training, experience and qualifications of the current workforce.
There are now four sector disciplines recognised by the ECS in the FESS industry, which include Fire; Fire and Emergency Lighting; Security (Including Access Control, Intruder and CCTV systems), and Fire and Security. Each sector recognises three disciplines which include Systems Operative, Systems Technician and Technical Manager. In addition, the occupations of Labourer, Trainee and Apprentice are recognised by ECS. ECS, ecscard.org.uk MOVERS & SHAKERS… BG Energy Solutions (BGES) has management team. Georgia Butler has joined as Head of Service and will be offering. Butler has extensive experience in the property services and maintenance sector. Rob Ordish joins as Senior Project Manager and will be responsible for leading projects on the BMS installations side of the business. Ordish brings with him over 18 years’ experience in the building controls industry. Melissa Povey joins as Business and Governance Manager and will be working across quality and compliance experience in the
ELECTRICITY NETWORKS PLAN TO BOOST EVS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Over two million small businesses from across London, the South East and East of England are being asked to join a landmark project to help enable the UK’s net zero transition.
UK Power Networks has launched its White Van Plan research project. The company is calling for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to voice their future needs for transport so they are not left behind in getting the electric charging infrastructure they need, whether they use vans, trucks, or passenger vehicles for their business.
The power company wants to understand how best to support SMEs that may be looking to invest in their first electric vehicle or switch their commercial fleet to electric. SMEs who would like to get their voice heard and receive tailored support on electric transport can respond to the project’s launch survey.
With 58% of new cars registered to companies, and nearly six million SMEs across the UK, they play a huge part in reaching the government’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2050. However, unlike some larger firms, SMEs may not have the information, time or resources to make the transition to electric vehicles (EV).
White Van Plan aims to make it as easy as possible for them to convert to EV charging by creating a detailed picture of SMEs’ transport use in the region, giving useful information and tailored support. UK Power Networks will also use the information to investigate new smart charging-based solutions, to free up spare network capacity and save money for customers and SMEs alike.
welcomed three new specialists to its responsible for improving BGES’ service the business to develop structures and procedures in line with industry standards and accreditations. Povey has extensive UK Power Networks, ukpowernetworks.co.uk
construction industry.
Hanwha Techwin Europe has appointed Jeff (Chae Won) Lee as its new Managing Director. Having worked for the Hanwha Group for over 21 years, most recently as Hanwha Techwin Europe’s Sales Director, and with a Master of Business Administration, he has an exceptional track record of delivering on strategic objectives and a wealth of knowledge and experience of growing businesses.
Schneider Electric has appointed Mark Yeeles as Vice President of Industrial Automation in the UK and Ireland. Yeeles will take over from Martin Walder, who will move into a new European role, overseeing Industrial Automation Transformation in Europe. Yeeles will play a fundamental role in driving forward Industrial Automation in the region, with a specific focus on increasing the uptake of interoperable automation software.
