Guys, thanks for the comments, all good points.
Have you read the stuff on the webs site, I think it might answer some of the questions.
I will try to respond to the issues raised.
As we all know Part P has not addressed the issues that it was intended to.
There are many people out there with little experience, having used some one else’s work to get through the Part P assessment, there are even courses run in South Wales that say they can get you through the competent persons assessment, after just 4 weeks training. The list goes on. But Part P is just part of the problem.
Try raising a complaint and see if the system is policed. Just don’t hold your breath. Building control do not have the resources or the knowledge to police the system. The Approval bodies don’t police things either. Oh yes there are headlines in their mags, rogue electrician prosecuted etc etc, but it’s just a very very tiny drop in an ocean of dangerous, poor quality work out there.
The problem is that the approval bodies do not have to account to anyone. If they do not perform, no one is there to hold them to account.
I am not saying we should get rid of the NICEIC or the ECA, they do some excellent work for the industry and we would be much worse off without them. However, they do not and could not police the industry effectively, at the end of the day their primary aim is to make profit. The profit is then used to grow their organisations, like any business. You may also like to take a look at who runs these organisations and their back grounds. I think you will be surprised, you will struggle to find any electricians.
The licensing scheme would issue licenses, based on qualifications, proof of ability (assessment) and most importantly, experience. Thus everyone should get the correct level of license, for the line of electrical work that they are involved in. If you want or need a higher level licence, you will have to train, pass assessments etc to prove you are competent at that level. Is that not fair.
Importantly the scheme would be run on a not for profit basis, with totally transparent accounts, so that everyone could see where the money is used.
I would envisage the scheme using the existing inspectors on a sub-contract bases. There jobs would be secure so long as they performed. If the inspectors didn’t provide a good service for the money paid, questions would be asked and if necessary contracts withdrawn. How about random inspections. Those out there doing it correctly wouldn’t have anything to worry about, but those breaking the rules would hate the idea.
The licensing scheme would be need to be run by qualified and experienced electricians, with one aim. To raise standards and ensure that all electrical work was carried out to the standards set in BS7671 and Best Practice guidelines set out by the Electrical Safety Council.
If we can raise the standards or work, we will raise the standards of training, this in turn will raise the status of electricians and that will raise pay rates.
Tell me what the existing trade bodies have done to achieve any of these. They will tell you that they have done lots, but the real truth is that standards have dropped, training standards have dropped, our status has dropped.
Why do we struggle to get well educated kids into apprenticeships, the simple truth is that schools and the public, see the electrical trade as a low skill, low status occupation and therefore dissuade the high achievers from entering the trade, instead they push low achievers into the trade. We then end up with kids that really don’t want to learn and end up wasting ours & JTLs time and money. This then leads to a lowering of training standards, in an attempt to try and get them through their apprenticeships, when they are really not capable.
The only way we can change this down ward spiral is to take back control of the industry, which can only be achieved with a new organisation, with higher standards and expectations. Free from the burdens of profit & politics.
I don’t have anywhere near all the answers, but at least I’m trying to start the ball rolling in an attempt to improve the electricians lot.
Don’t sit on the fence, unhappy with the way things are, What have you got to loose ? Sign up and support the campaign, it’s just the beginning of a long journey towards a much better industry, which you will have the opportunity to shape.
