Since becoming an apprentice at RK Electrical Mechanical Services in Northamptonshire he has his feet firmly on the ground and hopes to encourage others to consider apprenticeships when faced with having to make a career change.

Speaking of his experience during National Apprenticeship Week (8-14 February), Michael said: “On leaving school I went on to study farming, I’d worked on a farm since I was 13 and knew this was something I wanted to do. I studied farm management and worked in the industry for eight years.”

The Government’s Online Harms Bill has failed to address the problem of dangerous electrical goods available from online marketplaces. So leading consumer protection charity, Electrical Safety First, has put forward its own, ‘game changing’ Bill.

Electrical Safety First’s new Bill would make online marketplaces – such as Amazon and eBay – legally responsible for hosting listings of potentially lethal electrical products for sale. It would ensure they have the same responsibilities to protect consumers from unsafe products as High Street retailers.

Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First commented: “The Government's announcement of a new consultation on electrical safety in the social housing sector provides a much needed opportunity for the Government to end the tenure lottery that currently exists. 

“Today marks an important day for the electrotechnical industry as the Draft for Public Comment (DPC) surrounding Amendment 2 of BS 7671: 2018 is released,” said John O’Neill, NICEIC and ELECSA’s Director of Technical Excellence

“Providing the first glimpse of the proposed changes to the regulations which are planned to be introduced in March 2022, this document is vitally important in shaping how our industry operates.

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As you are aware, floodlights add security to outdoor areas of a home, outbuildings, sports arenas, car parks, airports and business premises. They are also used to temporarily illuminate building sites. However, there are installation restrictions, and floodlights will need to be changed if they are causing artificial light nuisance or light pollution. This can be a costly exercise for electricians should they need to make changes once the floodlights are in place.

NICEIC and ELECSA reaffirm their commitment to raising standards and delivering technical excellence as they expand their training portfolio to include a range of virtual classroom courses.  

I’ve Lost Everything! That’s exactly what James Dewane had to tell his family as a result of the 2007 recession. James was left with nothing but his hand tools and a mountain of debt. His electrical contracting company was liquidated, vans were sold off, staff were made redundant, and he couldn’t even talk to his old customers (rules from the liquidator)

James didn’t have time to mope about, he needed to put food on the table and figure out how to pay off his debt…

He had to rebuild and rebuild from scratch, without any money for marketing…

This method is not always as cost-effective as you might think; Belfast Live reports that heating oil is at an all-time low right now, but prices can fluctuate leaving heating bills inconsistent and hard to budget for. That has led to some people leaning towards an electric heating system in their home.

NICEIC and ELECSA will once again partner with ECA, the industry's leading trade association, to deliver the second in a series of business support webinars aimed at supporting electrical contractors. The next webinar, which takes place on Friday, May 1 at 11 am, will examine all the latest advice surrounding the government’s furlough scheme. Open to all, this session will answer contractor's questions and provide specific guidance on how the support programme applies to the electrical contracting industry.