Our goals for 2019
As Scotland’s largest construction trade association, we pride ourself on offering the best possible service to our Members. We’re already proud to offer an outstanding range of services and schemes – but we don’t believe in resting on our laurels either. So to keep us delivering exactly what you need, here are some of the things we’ll be focusing on to help you even more in 2019
Regulating the electrical industry
Over the past few years SELECT has, with the full support of the SJIB, Unite the Union and SECTT, been lobbying the Scottish Government to introduce ‘Protection of Title’ for electricians. This would mean that only those who held industry-recognised qualifications could call themselves an electrician. In 2019 we will continue raising the profile of the campaign to get a positive outcome for the industry and the Scottish public.
Training and skills development
All of our technical courses have been updated to take account of the changes in BS 7671:2018 and these will be ready for delivery in the new year. We have also introduced new courses in a number of energy efficiency areas, including the installation of electrical vehicle charging points. These will help SELECT Members broaden and enhance their skill base in the energy efficiency market. This year will see the development of additional courses and Members will continue to benefit from a special reduced rate on their training costs. We will also be looking at the most effective way to deliver programmes, including the use of more internet based-training programmes.
Services to assist Members
We need to provide services which help Members in their busy working lives and focus on delivering support in the areas that impact on Members the most. Our employment affairs, technical, commercial, and health and safety advice services are well used and offer great support to Members. Our technical inspections and assessments, publications, stationery and welfare benefits and affinity services also take some of the burden and lessen the cost for many Members too. In 2019, we will continue to develop our services. For example, our electronic certificates and reports package, SELECTcerts, will be updated and enhanced with additional features and functionality, maintaining its place in the industry and strengthening its value to Members as a means of producing BS 7671 certificates and reports. We have recently introduced a free online Risk Assessment scheme to Members via the Building Safety Group and in 2019 we will be looking to enhance this service by seeking to add a Method Statement process.
Speaking with Members
We have developed the content, style and distribution of CABLEtalk, establishing it as leader in the field and we will continue to develop the magazine to make sure it includes items and features of interest to Members. Our online presence has increased greatly and we get a great deal of traffic to both our website and our social media sites which help raise the awareness and profile of SELECT and its Members.
Improving payment practices
We know that Members continue to suffer from poor payment practices and SELECT will continue to press the Scottish Government to ensure that they support the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act which already places a requirement on public bodies to make sure payment is made down the contractual chain within 30 days. We will also continue to lobby to reduce the financial limits at which Project Bank Accounts (PBAs) are used. We will also seek to achieve a Scottish solution to the issue of contract retentions, maximising political support which recognises and supports a change in legislation.
Raising awareness
SELECT will continue to undertake a number of promotional activities to raise public awareness, so that Members are positioned as the ‘safe first choice’ for the public and wider industry. We will continue with our media relations work, various forms of advertising and other marketing activities, including a stronger social media presence, to reinforce our position in the marketplace and differentiate the organisation from other industry bodies. Additionally, a range of activities will be implemented with specifiers, clients, manufacturers and distributors to position SELECT Members with the wider supply chain.
And finally….
It’s always useful to say what being a Member of SELECT means. So we are:
The trade association and employers’ organisation for the Scottish electrotechnical industry
Committed to providing a range of value-added services for Members
A scheme provider for Certification of Construction
The leading industry training body
Responsible for running all the additional organisations that support the Scottish electrotechnical industry, eg SJIB, SECTT, EETF SECI etc
Committed to a personal and local service
Actively involved in representing the interests of Members.
