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SELECT

SELECT Appoints Alan Wilson as Vice Chair

Cristina Diaconu November 22, 2018

The Scottish Building Contract Committee (SBCC) has elected Alan Wilson, acting managing director of SELECT, the trade body for the electro-technical trade in Scotland, to be its Vice Chair. The election took place at SBCC’s AGM on the 7th of November. “It’s a great honour to our organisation, as well

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New SELECT training courses will help raise electrical safety and assist the industry in the developing knowledge on electric car charging point installations

BDC News Team February 26, 2018

SELECT, the campaigning body for the electrotechnical trade in Scotland, is set to launch two new training courses in the next few months. The first is an SQA-customised award in electrical safety as part of its commitment to keeping its members at the cutting edge of safety improvement.   The

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SELECT Is Live on YouTube

BDC News Team February 9, 2018

SELECT, the campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electrical sector, is going live on YouTube to help FICA apprentices and the electricians of the future. On behalf of SJIB, they have created a series of detailed instructional videos that will benefit young people during the apprenticeship training. The videos, which can

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SELECT Appoints New MD

BDC News Team January 23, 2018

Scotland’s leading trade association for the electrical contracting industry, SELECT, has appointed a new Managing Director. Darrell Matthews will replace Newell McGuinness after more than 13 years of being in post. He will join SELECT in March and will progressively take over from Newell. “I am genuinely delighted to be

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Latest Issue
Issue 330 : Jul 2025

SELECT

Bogus manuals, putting safety at risk, highlight SELECT’s campaign for professional recognition of electricians

Kenneth Booth January 8, 2019

The ongoing threat of poor and potentially dangerous electrical work has been highlighted once again by SELECT, the industry body for Scotland’s electrical sector professionals, as it is revealed that counterfeit copies of vital wiring regulations are being offered for sale. The bogus PDF copies of BS7671:2018, the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) Wiring Regulations, could be devastating for electrical professionals, with missing or corrupted information potentially leading to unsafe work and risking fire, electric shock or even death. The latest counterfeiting activity reinforces the message that SELECT has been promoting in the Scottish Parliament in its campaign, backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board and Unite the Union, for recognition of electricians as a profession. SELECT’s case was pressed recently (October) in a Holyrood debate in which evidence was presented of unqualified and under-qualified people who masquerade as electricians endangering public safety by carrying out work across Scotland. Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services at SELECT, said: “Only a short time after the issue of safety was debated in the Scottish Parliament, we have now uncovered bogus British Standards and other manuals being offered online to companies which will put consumers in further jeopardy”. Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, said that the fake PDFs, which were being distributed through a variety of channels, looked “convincing” on the first inspection. However, they are sprinkled with errors and corrupted information. The IET is now taking action to combat the counterfeiters by inserting a hologram in its Regulations, commonly known as the 18th Edition, to help users identify genuine copies. It contains the IET logo and the word “Genuine”. Mr Coles said: “Ensuring that genuine copies of IET publications are being used by electrical professionals is important in order that correct standards are used to protect the public and those working in the industry from injury and fatality.” SELECT’s campaign for protection of title has been at the forefront of its work following a speech by a Government Minister at a European electrical contractors’ conference in Edinburgh in 2015. It has been supported by unions, trade bodies and politicians from all parties. Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, recently said in Parliament that discussions would continue with the aim of bringing a Ministerial view to Parliament in due course. SELECT’s 1250 member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people. For more information please contact Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T:  0131 445 5577<tel:0131%20445%205577>. F: 0131 445 5548. E: admin@select.org.uk<mailto:admin@select.org.uk>. W: www.select.org.uk<http://www.select.org.uk/>   Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVug

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Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group celebrates its 25th anniversary

Kenneth Booth November 28, 2018

SELECT, the campaigning body for Scotland’s electrical sector professionals, has joined with other organisations across the country to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group. Since its inception in 1993, SEC Group has provided a strong lobbying voice to support the specialist engineering sector especially in the vital areas of contractual issues. In value terms, members of the SECG represent the largest sector of UK construction, comprising the industry’s premier trade associations. In exclusively working on behalf of specialist contractors, it has not only improved the trading environment but it has also become a driver for real l change and a strong proponent of a more collaborative and project-oriented culture. Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, said: “Electrical contractors were among the first to agree, that specialist engineering required its own representational body and SELECT has been proud to be a part of SEC Group over the years. “SEC Group aims to influence at the highest levels of government and it continues to do that by offering well-researched, sensible, pragmatic solutions which are of significant benefit to both businesses and their clients.” SEC Group now includes; the British Constructional Steelwork Association; the Building Engineering Services Association; ECA, the electrotechnical and engineering services trade body; the Lift and Escalator Industry Association; the Scaffolding Association; SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland; and SNIPEF, the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation. Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan, the President of SEC Group, said: “Specialist engineering contractors across the UK deliver design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair and replacement of complex structures and systems. “Over 25 years, the group has worked tirelessly to inculcate a greater awareness amongst policy makers of the specialist engineering contribution to the life cycle of buildings and structures.  In terms of the technologies involved that contribution is huge and will continue to grow.” Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills in the Scottish Parliament, said: “Over the years, SEC Group has grown significantly and the businesses it represents now account for 35% of the construction output across the UK. “In particular, I welcome the commitment SEC Group members have made to promoting and providing career and training opportunities for our young people through the protection and expansion of the apprenticeship programme.” SELECT’s 1250 member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people. For more information please contact Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T:  0131 445 5577. F: 0131 445 5548. E: admin@select.org.uk. W: www.select.org.uk   Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVug

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SELECT Appoints Alan Wilson as Vice Chair

Cristina Diaconu November 22, 2018

The Scottish Building Contract Committee (SBCC) has elected Alan Wilson, acting managing director of SELECT, the trade body for the electro-technical trade in Scotland, to be its Vice Chair. The election took place at SBCC’s AGM on the 7th of November. “It’s a great honour to our organisation, as well as to our sister body, the Scottish Engineering Contractors Group, (SECG), to have been elected as Vice Chair of SBCC,” said Alan Wilson. Until now its office bearers have been drawn from the membership of the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). “We have worked closely for some years with SELECT and SECG and have a high regard for their professionalism and abilities. In our view, the election of Alan to be our new Vice Chair is a timely and appropriate development reflecting our due acknowledgement of his organisation,” commented Chair of the SBCC, Lisa Cattanach, a chartered surveyor who is also a director of Glasgow-based Contract Dispute Resolution. Lisa’s first official role as chair of the SBCC was to host a very successful annual conference which was held in the Merchants House in Glasgow on Wednesday  the 14th of November.  “We had an outstanding lineup of speakers,  including Professor John Cole of Queen’s University, Belfast, who delivered a very thought provoking State of the Nation address, in which he  focussed on the findings of two independent enquiries of industry-wide significance established to address major issues of building quality,” said Lisa about the conference. The SBCC, whose role is to provide definitive guidance on building contracts and construction law in Scotland, was founded in the 1960s. SELECT’s 1250-member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people.

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Electricians’ campaign top of the agenda at Scottish Parliament debate

Kenneth Booth November 9, 2018

The long-running campaign by SELECT, the electrotechnical trade association, which is also backed by the Scottish Joint Industry Board (The SJIB) and Unite the Union, for recognition of Electricians as a Profession achieved a major milestone last week (Oct 25) when the issue was debated in the Scottish Parliament. In a wide-ranging discussion, MSPs from all parties debated the call for the privilege of calling a person an electrician to be limited only to those who are qualified in this highly-skilled profession. The Holyrood debate was opened by Jamie Halcro Johnston, Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for the Highlands and Islands, who has backed the campaign in the interests of public safety from its early stages. During the debate, Mr Halcro Johnston told parliament that he had been staggered to learn that the people who entered our homes and businesses to install and maintain our wiring, fuse boxes and appliances need have no qualifications at all and yet they can still call themselves electricians. Responding to the debate, Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, thanked MSPs for their contributions and said that discussions would continue with the aim of bringing a ministerial view to parliament in due course. Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, thanked the MSPs who initially signed the Motion and who took part in the debate. He said: “Protection of Title has been at the forefront of our work for a number of years and in fact our recent campaign was triggered following a speech by a Government Minister at a European Electrical contractors conference held in Edinburgh in 2015. We are very grateful to have received support from Unite the union, the SJIB other trade bodies and politicians from all parties. “It is a major issue. The overall cost of poor and potentially dangerous electrical work in Scotland is around £120 million a year. “Recognition of the vital role that qualified electricians play in all parts of Scottish society is long overdue. These are highly-trained, uniquely qualified professional people whose contribution to modern life is immense.” Mr Halcro Johnston pointed out that, while more than 100 regulated professions exist in the UK – including gas engineers and even door supervisors at clubs – there is no protection afforded to electricians. His motion asked Parliament to recognise that improperly-installed electrical work creates a significant risk of fire as well as other harm to householders and that the installation of electrical work by unqualified or part qualified individuals carries a major safety risk. SELECT’s 1250 member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people. For more information please contact Alan Wilson, Acting Managing Director  at SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T:  0131 445 5577. F: 0131 445 5548. E: admin@select.org.uk. W: www.select.org.uk   Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVug

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New SELECT training courses will help raise electrical safety and assist the industry in the developing knowledge on electric car charging point installations

BDC News Team February 26, 2018

SELECT, the campaigning body for the electrotechnical trade in Scotland, is set to launch two new training courses in the next few months. The first is an SQA-customised award in electrical safety as part of its commitment to keeping its members at the cutting edge of safety improvement.   The course, which will last for two and a half days, and result in an SCQF level 7 qualification, is aimed at both electricians and safety technicians, including H&S operatives. It will cover changes in legislation, environmental issues such as the safe disposal of electrical waste and safe isolation of circuits.   Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services for SELECT, said: “The training course material has been prepared and we are currently running pilot courses to ensure that the course content meets our member’s needs. We plan to have the course open to all applicants by Easter.   “As well as the new course on electrical safety, we are also currently testing a course on the safe installation of electric vehicle charging points at residential and business premises. The course will also feature routes to public funding available for installations.”   Mr. Forrester said: “We have looked into providing this training as a response to the rising demand for charging points. The actual installation work is covered within the scope of BS 7671 The Wiring Regulations and as a result, is well within the abilities of any qualified electrician.   “However, the training focuses on the maintenance of charging points, identifying how to access funding and how to get the best value for money for customers.”   The Electrical Vehicle Charging point installation course is likely to be available by early summer, and talks are ongoing with Edinburgh College and other providers.   SELECT, Scotland’s largest trade association, has 1250 member companies who account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people.   For further information, please contact: Alan Wilson, Head of Membership and Communications SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T: 0131 445 5577 E: admin@select.org.uk W: www.select.org.uk Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVughttp://  

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SELECT Is Live on YouTube

BDC News Team February 9, 2018

SELECT, the campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electrical sector, is going live on YouTube to help FICA apprentices and the electricians of the future. On behalf of SJIB, they have created a series of detailed instructional videos that will benefit young people during the apprenticeship training. The videos, which can be found on YouTube or on SJIB’s website, are particularly aimed at those facing the Final Integrated Competence Assessment (FICA) to help them join the ranks of qualified electrician. However, the information that the videos provide is of value to existing electrical professionals as well. The series of ten videos focus on the test sequence and specific tests required to verify that a new electrical installation complies with BS 7671:2008 (as amended). “Inspection and Testing is vital. It is about verifying that an electrical installation is safe before it goes into use, and the regulations require that the person verifying it is suitably competent,” explained Fiona Harper from SELECT. According to SJIB, Inspection and Testing is one of the most difficult FICA part to learn and young people have been looking on YouTube for help; “that was when we decided to use that medium to provide clear, accurate, accessible and authorised guidance for our candidates,” said Fiona. Candidates can use the training videos before they are subjected to a regime in which they face a gruelling two days of practical simulations of various aspects of electrical installation in a modern and up to date environment. They also have a written test that consists of a series of multiple choice questions, which will help assess their ability to safely and effectively carry out their future profession. The assessment centres for the FICA in Scotland are located in Aberdeen, Cambuslang, and Edinburgh. SELECT has 1200 member companies, which account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. Their collective turnover is approximately £1 billion and they provide employment for 15,000 people.

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SELECT Appoints New MD

BDC News Team January 23, 2018

Scotland’s leading trade association for the electrical contracting industry, SELECT, has appointed a new Managing Director. Darrell Matthews will replace Newell McGuinness after more than 13 years of being in post. He will join SELECT in March and will progressively take over from Newell. “I am genuinely delighted to be the next MD of SELECT,” said Darrell Matthews. “I know this is a successful, well-resourced and very effective trade association and I look forward to working with Members, staff and the wider industry to take SELECT to the next level. Newell has done a tremendous job and filling his shoes won’t be easy but this is an organisation which is keen to grow and to promote its members and create a safer and better regulated industry,” added him. Darrell’s commercial experience comes from working with different representational organisations in several sectors. His most recent roles include being the director of the Institute of Directors, EEF and the director of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Kevin Griffin, SELECT President, said about Darrell that he was “the outstanding candidate from a long list of applicants. I am sure he will build on the excellent progress made by SELECT under Newell’s guidance and he has the full support of the Central Board to do so. I am sure all of our Members will support Darrell and will provide him with a warm Scottish welcome.” SELECT is the largest trade association in Scotland and its membership carries out more than 90% of all electrical installation work in the country. Its turnover is more than £1 billion and it provides employment for 15,000 people. Its aim is to deliver the highest standards of professionalism and workmanship and it believes that the industry should guarantee high standards of safety and competence. That way, customers can rely on any electrician they decide to employ.

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