ECA and ESC announce major partnership

[NICEIC ENGINEER]

As announced yesterday the ECA and ESC have formed a new partnership for the good of the industry.

From April next year the NICEIC and ELECSA brands will be operated by a new venture called Certsure giving the industry a stronger voice to government and major stakeholders.

The move will bring many benefits to NICEIC and ELECSA registrants, the first of which is the creation of www.electricalsafetyregister.com a definitive searchable database of more than 30 000 registered electricians.

As part of our policy to be open and informative about the merger we have set up this thread for anyone to ask any questions or queries they might have.

A member of the NICEIC team will monitor the site at various points over the next week and provide answers to any questions you might have about the move.

We want you to get involved and look forward to hearing from you.

 

[ackbarthestar]

The ECA and ESC have been working for nearly two years to form a meaningful partnership and joint governance over NICEIC and ELECSA. TheRegister is just the first benefit for those ELECSA and NICEIC contractors, aswell as ECA members. The Charity has tried in the not too distant past tocreate one register for the promotion of contractors from many schemes, butsome schemes did not want to participate. www.electricalsafetyregister.comwas therefore developed. It costs nothing to NICEIC, ELECSA and ECA members tobe included and is another place for potential customers can find them.

Here is an interview between Professional Electrician (PE)magazine and our chief executive officer Emma Clancy which may explain thingsfurther:

PE: This is a major announcement for theindustry. What exactly is happening?
EC: We’re delighted to announce that the ECA and ESC are creating ajoint venture company, called Certsure, which from Spring 2013 will operate theNICEIC and ELECSA brands as well as ECA assessments. As a symbol of how thepartnership will deliver many benefits to the industry and the general public,ECA and ESC have launched the Electrical Safety Register, which means you canfind ELECSA, NICEIC and ECA registered members in one place. We believethis will be a great benefit to those looking to specify electrical contractingwork. The ECA, ESC and Certsure will work hard to promote our customers totheir customers through the Register.

PE: Why have ECA and ESC partnered like this?
EC: Well, we’ve listened! We’ve listened to our customers, to governmentand to homeowners and specifiers of contracting work. They have all said to usthat the industry is too disparate, there are too many logos and we should beworking together more to promote the industry and the great electricalcontractors who are registered with us.

PE: So what changes for ELECSA and NICEIC customers?
EC: Firstly, NICEIC and ELECSA customers do not need to change theirvans or letterheads, their assessor does not change and they can go to theirusual websites, www.niceic.comand www.elecsa.co.uk. In fact, they need not doanything. What does change is that in addition to their usual NICEIC and ELECSAregistration they will also be automatically added to the Electrical SafetyRegister. We’ve sent every customer a van sticker and there are more on thesecure area of our websites.

The new partnership will directly benefit the industry - we'll be able to putmore money into promoting contractors to commercial customers and the public.Customers will be able to access many new and existing benefits, which we willbegin to communicate over the coming months. We commit to great customerservice taking the best elements of ELECSA and NICEIC. We will listen and befair. We commit to great customer service taking the best elements of ELECSAand NICEIC. We will listen and be fair.


PE: So an ELECSA registrant can’t claim to be NICEIC registeredand vice versa?
EC: No, the schemes are accredited and run in parallel for now. But theycan in addition use the Electrical Safety Register logo. They use theirnormal websites, notify work in the same way and so on. We’ve made this assimple as possible for our customers and simpler for people to find them.

PE: Where are you promoting the Register?
EC: We are writing to specifiers across the UK and those letters havealready gone out. We will be advertising the Register in key magazines, for instanceto Local Authorities and Housing Associations and promoting it to consumers inthe national and local press. We will ensure that the Electrical SafetyRegister becomes the one place everyone can find a great electrician.

PE: Will other scheme operators have their contractors listedon there?
EC: To start with it will be ELECSA, NICEIC and ECA customers on theRegister. We hope over time it will grow. Any organisation wishing to joinwould need to show a demonstrable support for the other organisations involvedand commit to meeting a consistently high standard. I think customers ofELECSA, NICEIC and ECA as well as homeowners and specifiers would want to bereassured that high standards of assessments are met.

PE: Is this all because of what’s happening to Part P?
EC: No. As I sit and talk to you, nothing has been announced by CLG onPart P. The Electrical Safety Register isn’t just for domestic installers,there are NICEIC Approved Contractors and ECA members on there too. Part P ispart of the Building Regulations and it’s referenced on the site forhouseholders to understand.

PE: Is this in anyway anti-competitive?
EC: No. Choice is still out there for the contractor, there is somethinglike six other competent person scheme providers. My promise is that we willlisten and be fair as an organisation and that the best of NICEIC and ELECSAwill be brought together so every one of our customers feels valued. Don’tforget, our revenues go towards the benefit of the industry, not forshareholders profits. And our customers can be reassured that we will promotethem to their customers. The Electrical Safety Register brings them togetherwith the backing of the ECA and the ESC. I think that’s where the choice ofscheme is important.

PE: Will you move to make the Register mandatory like the GasSafe Register?
EC: There are several factors as to why this isn’t possible. Firstly youjust have to listen to our customers to realise how tough the economic climateis. Anything that increased costs for contractors wouldn’t be right at thistime. Secondly, there is no appetite at government level to do this and thiswas clear at the recent Select Committee on Part P. Thirdly industry needs tosolve its own problems and stand united on the big issues. This is a new startto get that right, seize the initiative for electrical contractors and promoteour great industry properly

This reads as though you have been on one of those 'whoopie sales' courses.

Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla spring to mind

 

[ackbarthestar]

Just had a look at this

I think it speaks volumes that some of the people leading the industry appear to have little or no professional knowledge of electrical work unless they have done a quick course so they can advocate their value

Although I think that Ann Robinson probably has some past experience that could help us as a past Chair of victim support

Lol,

"held senior roles in a variety of blue-chip and not-for-profit organisations including Marks and Spencer, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group"

I'm not sure I would want to add those credentials to my CV...

- - - Updated - - -

Just had a look at this

I think it speaks volumes that some of the people leading the industry appear to have little or no professional knowledge of electrical work unless they have done a quick course so they can advocate their value

Although I think that Ann Robinson probably has some past experience that could help us as a past Chair of victim support

Lol,

"held senior roles in a variety of blue-chip and not-for-profit organisations including Marks and Spencer, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group"

I'm not sure I would want to add those credentials to my CV...

 

[professional]

So, where HAVE the NICEIC PR brigade disappeared to?

Perhaps they have more important things to worry about than answering awkward questions from real electricians - or even some of their own members .... :smilewinkgrin:

 

[imago]

So, where HAVE the NICEIC PR brigade disappeared to?

Plans have to be hatched and fees counted. World domination is a time consuming business you know.

 

[Knobhead]

So, where HAVE the NICEIC PR brigade disappeared to?

Perhaps they have more important things to worry about than answering awkward questions from real electricians - or even some of their own members .... :smilewinkgrin:

Taken his bat and ball home.

 

[Geordie Spark]

So, where HAVE the NICEIC PR brigade disappeared to?

Perhaps they have more important things to worry about than answering awkward questions from real electricians - or even some of their own members .... :smilewinkgrin:

Aye well ...... in the immortal words of Lance Corporal Jones of Dad'a Army: "They don't like it up 'em" and that foolish bloke who came on here to champion their cause certainly got it up him ... right up him !!!

 

[Octopus]

Aye well ...... in the immortal words of Lance Corporal Jones of Dad'a Army: "They don't like it up 'em" and that foolish bloke who came on here to champion their cause certainly got it up him ... right up him !!!

Its a real pity that the ECA didn't have the guts to contribute either.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Its a real pity that the ECA didn't have the guts to contribute either.

They were probably holding their horses waiting to see how the fond fool from NICIEC was treated and now that they know they've beaten a hasty retreat.

I have to say: I think this has been one of the best and most enjoyable threads on this forum for quite a while, and for its entertainment value it ranks right up there alongside the Roman spectacle of feeding Christians to lions.

I can't wait for round two. :26:

 

[imago]

Its a real pity that the ECA didn't have the guts to contribute either.

Perhaps they decided to let the organ grinder do the talking?

 

[Geordie Spark]

Perhaps they decided to let the organ grinder do the talking?

Aye well ..... that would have been OK If we had got the organ grinder, but as it was we got the monkey and the monkey must have felt like he was in Hartlepool by the time the thread was only half way through !!!

 

[Des 56]

Perhaps they decided to let the organ grinder do the talking?

The organ grinder also turns out to be like the brave little dog that barks safely from a distance and is fearful of close contact with the bigger dogs lest he gets mauled by them again
The bigger dogs didn't like the toilet actions perpetrated against them by the organ grinder and are barking mad still

 

[imago]

By Organ grinder, I meant the NIC as we all know who is the junior 'partner' in this set up.

 

[Geordie Spark]

By Organ grinder, I meant the NIC as we all know who is the junior 'partner' in this set up.

Yep ..... I realised that.

 

[steve.b]

To join you have to send in a photo and all your qualification certificates, which have been obtained by approved courses. Therefore stopping some Joe Blogs setting up a fake course and selling certificates. Anyone sending in fake certs will be fined for fraud and their picture put in a Fraud section of the web site. JIB. spring's to mind!

Read more: http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...nounce-major-partnership-5.html#ixzz2EYUjvxyD
​

 

[SPARTYKUS]

yeah that would be something, boy to be a fly on the wall in the scheme head offices on that day

Would be something like

"what are we going to do what are we going to do WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DOOOOOOOOOO"