SELECT

Engineering services business survey: firms hunt for the right people to aid bounce back

The latest quarterly Building Engineering Business Survey, conducted by leading electrotechnical trade body ECA in partnership with BESA, SELECT and SNIPEF, reveals an expected bounce back for the sector in Q2. Materials shortages and cash flow continue to affect the sector. But recruiting and retaining the right calibre of staff is now the biggest curb on business growth. A rise in apprenticeship recruitment shows a recognition that investing in people…

Apprenticeships and regulation are priorities for Alistair Grant as he’s elected President of leading electrical trade body SELECT

A veteran small business owner with more than 40 years’ experience in the electrical industry has been elected as the new President of SELECT, Scotland’s largest construction trade association. Respected professional Alistair Grant pledged to put apprenticeships and regulation of the sector top of his agenda after taking up his post at the body’s AGM earlier this month (June 1). The new President established his family-run business, Alistair Grant Electrical, in 1982, and has built up…

SELECT donates safe isolation posters and toolbox cards to help keep apprentices safe

Scotland’s largest construction trade association, SELECT, is distributing posters and handy toolbox-sized safe isolation flowcharts to remind apprentices and adult trainees of correct working practices. The campaigning electrical body is currently handing out Ten Steps to Safe Isolation posters to all 22 training centres used by the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT), to be displayed prominently as a reminder of how to work safely. Smaller durable versions, designed to fit handily into toolboxes,…

Appetite for an electrical career soars as number of new apprentices and adult trainees in Scotland reaches highest figure for 12 years

Scotland’s electrical training body has saluted an “excellent” start to the academic year after the number of electrical apprentices and adult trainees beginning their studies reached a 12-year high. More than 800 new learners have enrolled on the Electrical Apprenticeship and Adult Trainee Programmes for 2021, with colleges and training centres reporting full classrooms as future professionals take their first steps on the electrical ladder. The intake is the highest…

As exam results approach in Scotland, SELECT urges youngsters to embrace the electrical revolution and enjoy a rewarding career

As youngsters prepare to receive their exam results across Scotland this week (Tuesday 10 August), Scotland’s largest construction trade association is encouraging school-leavers to make their future an electric one. Thousands of teenagers will currently be mulling over their life choices – and SELECT says an electrical apprenticeship is the first step to an exciting and fulfilling career that offers significant potential and rewards. The trade body points to recent figures that showed a…

SECTT highlights the importance of apprentices at AGM

The Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) marked its recent AGM (May 2021) with a new team at the top and a ringing affirmation of the vital importance of apprenticeships to the future of the electrical contracting industry in Scotland. The annual meeting of the proactive training provider elected Scott Foley (right), Regional Officer at Unite the Union, as its new Chair, with John Noble (left), Managing Director of John Noble Electrical Contractors, elected as Vice-Chair.…

SELECT stresses importance of correct electrical training routes with new guides

Campaigning trade association SELECT has launched a new series of recommended training routes to provide clear advice on the right path to becoming a qualified electrician in Scotland. Developed in partnership with The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), the guidance is designed for both school leavers and those looking for a career in the electrical industry at any age. Crucially, the three routes clearly stress that becoming a fully qualified electrician can only be achieved with valid…