Staffs apprentice takes top award An apprentice from NICEIC Approved Contractor I C Electrical in Staffordshire has been named JTL’s national apprentice of the year at the training provider’s annual awards ceremony. Zak Gates, 22 (pictured), from Burton-upon-Trent, passed all his City & Guilds electrical exams with distinction at Loughborough College and is currently working towards a higher national diploma in electrical and electronic engineering sponsored by his employer. “I feel privileged to win this award, it’s a great achievement,” said Zak. “It’s great to know all my hard work has been noticed and I’m pleased my parents and employers were there to share the moment with me.” Managing director of I C Electrical Ltd, Chris Emmerson, added: “The standard was higher than ever this year, but we were confident he would win. He’s been with us for five years and has matured into a very confident and competent young project manager, who is liked and respected in equal measure by his colleagues. He was an exceptional apprentice, who progressed quickly and is now managing projects, budgets, staff and profit targets.” JTL delivers apprenticeships in partnership with colleges and workplaces across seven regions in the UK. The not-for-profit organisation has around 6,000 young people on apprenticeship schemes at any one time.
NEW RULES AIM TO ENSURE PROMPT PAYMENT The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has welcomed the new Public Contracts Regulations 2015, while noting that supporting guidance is now required to assess whether the regulations will work properly in construction. One of the key aims of the new rules is to ensure that when any public sector body (such as a local authority or the NHS) is the client, all suppliers engaged on a project are paid promptly. Another aim is to improve the standardisation of public sector pre-qualification activity. “We will have to wait for the supporting guidance before we can be certain that the regulations have delivered everything our members need,” said Paul Reeve, ECA director of business services. “However, we can say that they enshrine in law the need for all public sector contracts to pay promptly, right through the supply chain. On the face of it, this is a very welcome, if overdue, development.” Much of the new rules are based on previous recommendations by Lord Young to help smaller businesses, and are the result of sustained lobbying and representation by the ECA and SEC Group. “The ECA engaged directly with Lord Young, Frances Maude, Vince Cable and others to put the case for prompt public sector supply chain payment, and for sensible pre-qualification,” added Reeve. “These new regulations establish the principle of prompt supply chain payment and we will continue to work with the next government to ensure our members are paid promptly on all public sector work.” The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 102) can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/contents/made
ON THE SPOT// TERRY GRAY NICEIC and ELECSA employ 80 engineers across the country to assess contractors work and provide up-to-date technical advice. To many contractors they are the face of NICEIC and ELECSA. Here, we turn the tables and put them in the spotlight » Terry Gray area engineer, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire How did you become an area engineer? I worked for NICEIC as an assistant engineer between 1995 and 1997 before leaving to work as London regional manager at the ECA (1997-2004). I then set up my own company TJ Electrical Training Ltd and was enticed back as an NICEIC area engineer in October 2011. What does your day consist of? Assessment of contractors registered on the NICEIC Approved Contractor scheme, so visiting contractors in their office before conducting site audits to check the standard and compliance of their electrical work against the Wiring Regulations BS 7671: 2008. A typical site visit could be anything from a Rolls-Royce factory in Derbyshire to a Baptist church with an immersion pool installation. What are the main issues contractors might overlook? To issue appropriate certification for domestic smoke alarm systems. What’s the strangest thing you have come across during an assessment? A qualified supervisor who insisted that we drive to site in his Porsche Boxter with a step ladder between us. What’s the strangest request you have had? I once had an enquiry on the technical helpline from the police about an alleged attempted murder in Wales, where a husband had allegedly attempted to
electrocute his wife in the bath. They wanted an expert witness and I believe a colleague went out to investigate the matter. What interesting jobs have some of your contractors had? One of the most unusual visits was to an anaerobic digestion plant in Leicestershire attached to a recycling plant. What are your interests outside of work? Ornithology, golf and star gazing with my eight-inch Orion reflector telescope. If you could have a superpower what would it be? I would be a rubber man: flexible in the job, able to bounce good ideas off the contractor, safe around electrical systems and on the ball at all times. If you had a day off tomorrow, what would you do? Depending on the weather, I might take myself off for a nature walk in Derbyshire, relax at home or play a round of golf. Favourite book, film and TV programme? Favourite book: One Summer: America 1927, by Bill Bryson Film: Planes, Trains and Automobiles TV programme: The Chase What’s the one best bit of advice you have received in your career? It was from my father who told me: “Get a trade lad.”
Connections Spring 2015
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