Interview

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

In the first in our series of interviews with leading figures from within the electrical sector, Carly Wills talks to CEO of the ECA, Steve Bratt, about his role at the ECA, the work that the association does, and it’s plans for the future.

CW: Tell us about yourself and how you got into the sector.

SB: I’ve been Group CEO of ECA since 2010. My previous career has been mostly in technical and commercial management roles in the construction and utility sectors, although I have had spells running businesses in printing, management consultancy and advertising. This is my first time leading a trade association and I can honestly say it is far more challenging than I had anticipated, but also much more satisfying, as ECA fulfils a very valuable purpose.

CW: For those who may not know, can you give us an overview of the work that the ECA does?

SB: ECA is owned by its Members, which are contractor businesses of all sizes within the broader electrotechnical and engineering services sector.

We are non-profit distributing, which means that any profits made within the group are put back into achieving our purpose, which is to lead the industry and our Members to growth and prosperity. We aim to do that by positively influencing the development, capability and reputation of our industry and by helping contractors to run successful businesses.

We provide a vast range of supporting services to our Members, including commercial, legal, technical, health and safety, employment, training and skills, to name just some. We also provide free online tools to help Members manage their businesses, including eRAMS and eCOMS. All services are free at the point of use to Members.

We also work with Members to develop and influence industry standards, codes of practice and legislation. ECA is unique in this regard, as our policy is informed by contractors and other industry bodies and is done with the aim of improving our industry, as opposed to providing a dividend for shareholders.

CW: Tell us about your current role – what are you responsible for and what does the normal working day consist of?

SB: ECA is a group of diverse companies, all contributing to the development of the industry in one way or another. I am involved in some way with most of these companies so my day can involve all manner of things. It is rare that any two days are the same.

I am also a member of the Construction Leadership Council and lead their Business Models Workstream. This involves leading cross-industry groups to develop advice and support for construction-related businesses. It has been quite time-consuming, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. However, I am hoping it will lead to improvements in areas like fair and prompt payment, retentions and fair contracts, so it will hopefully be time well spent.

CW: What are the best things about your role? What are the most challenging?

SB: I enjoy the diversity, but the best thing is knowing that the work being done relates to a good purpose and that if you do it well, the industry and the good quality contractors within it will benefit.

The most challenging thing is getting our industry rightfully recognised for the critical role it has to play in achieving many of the important targets on the government’s agenda – net zero for instance. We need government, clients and consumers to understand that the things that make a building work are just as, if not more important, than the structure itself, and they should recognise the importance of electrical contractors.

CW: How has COVID-19 affected the industry? Do you think things will be finally able to get back to ‘normal’ soon?

SB: The impacts of COVID-19 will be with us for some time yet as we see issues like material and labour shortages and price increases work their way through the system. The contractual impact of all of this is yet to be fully seen, as no doubt there are many disputes still to be resolved and many contracts being taken on without due consideration for the volatility we will continue to experience.

CW: Aside from COVID-19, what have been the biggest changes across the industry in recent times? What will be the biggest changes in the future?

SB: The industry continues to be its own worst enemy. Even when work is plentiful, there is always someone willing to take a job at an unreasonably low price, or take on unwise risks, and even accept outrageous payment arrangements. This ultimately drags everybody down.

Although not particularly evident yet, there is an underlying desire, and some development work being done on collaborative, fair and value-based procurement and delivery models, such as the Construction Playbook, The Value Toolkit and Insurance Backed Alliancing. Not much is going to change in the short term, but in the longer term we need to see this philosophy gain traction. This is the reason I joined the Construction Leadership Council, so that I can do all I can to push this forward.

I think the biggest issue moving forward is net zero. The good news is that our industry is very well placed to play a major part in achieving our ambitious targets and to rightfully prosper in the process. CW: What’s next for you and for the ECA?

SB: I will continue to lead the Construction Leadership Council’s Business Models work and hopefully deliver improvements in fair practices for contractors in areas like payment and retentions. I am also keen to see competence levels improved and see an increase in apprenticeship recruitment, direct employment and investment in skills.

ECA has a clear strategy built around improving the industry and helping contractors to thrive. We have lots of plans and initiatives to help us deliver this strategy and members can look forward to continually improving support through new products and services.

CW: What do you think are the most exciting products or technologies coming to the market?

SB: I think we have only scratched the surface when it comes to adopting new technology in our sector. There are new opportunities emerging all the time to vastly improve the productivity and quality of electrical installations, help businesses operate more efficiently, and of course to offer new products to customers.

The decarbonisation of heat and transport is one of biggest areas where technology is now having a big impact. We are already seeing strong growth in electric vehicle charging, and heat pumps are often quoted as the ‘great green saviour’.

However, with buildings’ thermal performance improving all the time, there are growing opportunities for direct electrical heating, which is less disruptive to install, has lower installation costs and needs minimal maintenance.

As our buildings continue to become a bigger part of an active and flexible energy system, smart controls, on-site energy generation and battery storage will also become more prevalent and indispensable. Add to this the need for systems integration and digitisation, and it is clear that all sub-sectors in the electrotechnical industry stand to benefit.

Our challenge is finding the right technicians with the right skills to do this important work properly. We already have a shortage of competent operatives, and we urgently need to upskill people now.

CW: What are your interests away from work?

SB: I have been refurbishing an older property, so my break from construction has been more construction just lately. However, when I’m not taxi driver to my children or walking the dog, I do squeeze in the occasional game of golf, watch a football or rugby game or relive my youth at a music festival.

“The impacts of COVID-19 will be with us for some time yet as we see issues like material and labour shortages and price increases work their way through the system”