Another half arsed program by Scottish government.
what about year 2 or beyond ?
Wouldn't it be better to pay money for each year ,possibly reduce the number of places, but ensure that companies and apprentices are supported for a few years ?
the danger is a sole trader takes someone on and can manage the first year with the support. The second year they could struggle and pay off the apprentice.
Lets face it you have to pay to send an apprentice to college, thats a days wages you don't a return for.
Scottish government claim to help business, but they don't really help small businesses .
Their requirement to join a scheme before being allowed to verify landlord lets ..is nothing short of squeezing money out of small business.
you have to be a member of select or nic before you can test and inspect for a landlord but you can do it elsewhere without ?
So you pay money and some of your profits to a business that runs the course you require to join their scheme.
I'm part time and it shuts the door on a lot of work for me.
sorry about the rant but it looks like another gimmick by the government
its like there cyber essentials scheme.
they supported this financially for a short time then moved on,
to deal with scot gov you had to have this standard which cost about 1500 plus vat. It squeezes small companies profits so the bigger companies win again.
you need to pay someone to ensure you are up to standard then someone else to test it. I can ensure you are up to that standard as probably could most on here .How ever you must be a registered company ….wait for it you need to be a member of a scheme that takes money off you …sound familiar ?
sorry it might seem a good idea on the surface, but I think that they need to support the smaller companies and possibly fund the apprenticeships for longer for it to work.
just my thoughts having dealt a lot with scots gov in the past with policies etc …. they don't really have a clue in the real world and generally listen to people from big companies , people that are looking after their own interests.
whilst I realise nothing is perfect, I think this could be an excellent opportunity to get people trained in the industry but longer support is needed and possibly a sliding scale more support for a small company or sole trader .
apologies re the rant, but I've not had my breakfast yet, also a customer that I arranged a job for today isn't in due to a hairdressing appointment GRRR
While I find myself in agreement with most of what you've said here, I do, however, strongly disagree with this part:
Their requirement to join a scheme before being allowed to verify landlord lets ..is nothing short of squeezing money out of small business. you have to be a member of select or nic before you can test and inspect for a landlord but you can do it elsewhere without ?
First of all, there is no statutory requirement that the person carrying-out an EICR on a private letting in Scotland be a SELECT member or an NICEIC approved contractor. Annex A of the Scottish Government's
Electrical installations and appliances in private rented properties statutory guidance states only that: "An EICR must be completed by a suitably competent person." So, what exactly is their definition of a "suitably competent person"? This is what they say
:
"Using a firm that is a member of an accredited registration scheme operated by a recognised body will give some degree of confidence that this has been achieved. In Scotland, this will usually mean that they are a registered with NICEIC, a member firm of the Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland (SELECT), or a member of the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT)."
And:
"Landlords can take membership of these organisations as evidence of competence."
So as can be seen, there is no statutory requirement that a person carrying-out an EICR on a private let in Scotland be a SELECT member or an NICEIC approved contractor. The only statutory requirement in force is that the landlord assumes sole responsible for ensuring the person completing an EICR is suitably competent. If, however, the person carrying-out the EICR is not a SELECT member, an NICEIC approved contractor, or a member of NAPIT, the landlord is then required to:
"seek evidence of competence and have regard to the details provided."
Furthermore:
"A competent person (other than a member of NICEIC, SELECT or NAPIT) should be able to confirm all of the points listed in the checklist form provided on the following page."
Thsese are the requirements that a non-SELECT / NICEIC / NAPIT member carrying-out an EICR on behalf of a private landlord needs to satisfy and confirm by way of a dated signature:
I am a member of a professional body
I have public liability insurance (£2 million minimum is recommended)
I have employers’ liability insurance (£2 million minimum is recommended), unless the business has no employees
I have professional indemnity insurance (£0.25 million is recommended for contractors undertaking electrical installation condition reporting)
I have completed appropriate assessed training on current version of BS7671 within the past 5 years
I can provide:
copies of wholesaler bills made out to entity trading, or
a company registration number, or
a Unique Tax Reference (UTR)
I can provide copies of trade qualification or equivalent
I can provide a copy of a written health and safety policy statement for the business
I have completed Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) Health & Safety Assessment within the past 3 years
I have been granted, or am eligible to be granted at least Approved Electrician grade.
Other than those landlords who have specifically required that their EICR be carried-out by a SELECT or NICEIC member, I have NEVER had a landlord ask me to prove my competency. Not once. Indeed, I can assure you that EICRs are being carried-out in the Glasgow area by twentysomething electricians who are not approved grade and who don't even have a qualification in inspection and testing. They do EICRs for £40-£60 therefore making it next to impossible for registered, approved, qualified contractors to compete. They then inflate the price of any remedial work that ensues to compensate.
Worse, a few months ago I lost an EICR to a plumber. I'm not joking.
The sad fact is, anyone can carry-out an EICR in Scotland. Hell, you don't even to be an electrician. The buck stops with the landlord, and if the plumber he has hired to do his EICR messes-up, then it will be the landlord's arse that is in a sling, not the plumber's. The system in its present form is quite clearly not fit for the purpose and is in dire need of a radical overhaul. It's a ----ing joke.
My own view is that anyone advertising their services for any type of electrical work anywhere in Scotland should be registered. If you haven't served a recognised apprenticeship or have received approved training and/or don't possess the necessary up-to-date qualifications, then you don't get accepted. This will eliminate the cowboys, the chancers and the under-qualified in one fell swoop. Next, every registered electrician should the be licensed along the lines of the Australian model. Anyone who advertises themselves as an electrician, or who actually carries-out any type of electrical work without a licence commits a criminal offence and incurs a heavy fine and/or imprisonment.
