Up to 2,000 unqualified electricians are endangering the Scottish public, SELECT tells Ministers

[JK-Electrical]

Up to 2,000 unqualified electrical businesses are potentially putting the safety of the Scottish public at risk. As part of our campaign to regulate the profession of electrician, SELECT undertook an in-depth research exercise to establish that a total of 103 electricians were trading in the representative local authority area of East Lothian.

In a letter sent to Scottish Government, SELECT said : “We looked at how many of these were current members of SELECT, were registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) and finally, those who were registered with the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB).

“From the data, we discovered that of the 103, 30 were SELECT Members, 12 were registered with the NICEIC and 25 were registered with the SJIB. We could not find any record of any qualification for the remaining 36.”

It continues: “If this is then extrapolated, there is an average of 0.36 unqualified electricians per 1000 head of population. According to the Scottish Government’s own statistics, Scotland has a population of 5.39M which suggests that there are at least 1940 unqualified electricians.”

The letter goes on to provide a chart showing the number of likely unqualified electricians trading in each authority area plus the search criteria SELECT used.

Read more by clicking here.

 

[telectrix]

think mebbee it would be politic to get a couple of these 2000 unqualified bods round to rewire nicola sturgeon's gaff.

 

[TFGtv]

If I've interpreted this correctly, then the term unqualified electrician would apply to anyone who has not served a recognised apprenticeship i.e. the five week wonders and the boys who went straight to college from school and managed to get an SVQ but not an apprenticeship.

As an ex-Stow lecturer I can tell you that SVQ's can only be obtained on the job - that's kind of the point of them, they're work-based qualifications; and as such the qualifications most-likely to go with 'on the job' training. - The structure of them isn't inherently bad, it's just they're somewhat debased by the involvement of unscrupulous 'training providers'.

As far as Electrical Engineering is concerned anyone coming from school will go through NQ (laughing referred to as 'Not Qualified' - it's really just a remedial level) if they don't have the Highers to get into HNC/D; and sometimes even if they do.

NQ then articulates to HNC/D - 1200/2400 hours of full time study; 3600 if you include the NQ. - Takes three years. It's at this stage we'd expect them to articulate either into industry (as trainees) or university. By no stretch of the imagination can such individuals be said to be in any way "unqualified". - Inexperienced maybe... In need of industry training... Yes. Unqualified, no!

If one of those guys sets himself (or herself) up in business, walks the walk, does the collection of short-course as you might do to set up a business... OR joins a small firm and learns on the job they're supposed to be 'unqualified'?

Aye right!

To become a member of SELECT the applicant needs to be at least approved grade, and the only way an electrician can be graded as approved is if he has served an apprenticeship that is recognised as such by the SJIB.

No, there are other routes including SECTT Adult training. - Again, having seen the paperwork, I really can't say I'm over-inspired by any of it! It's no substitute for anything meaningful as far as I can see.

SELECT are lobbying the Scottish Government very hard for unqualified personnel to be banished from the trade. I guess this will ultimately result in a considerable drop in the annual profits of My Builder and Rated People. This snippet that I found on another forum is interesting:

Yes, I'm sure that particular 'boy's club' are; entirely in their own self-interest it seems.

Having seen the paperwork for SVQ3 (which seems to be their base) slightly shy of HNC, it barely 'qualifies' you to put a plug on a toaster as far as I can see. I'm not therefore remotely convinced that the standards they promote are commensurate with what I'd hope for from a properly qualified tradesman.

Unfortunately - mainly due to the meddling of government, the whole education/training regime has, for around fifteen years at least, been badly broken. There is no quick fix for this. Particularly as they've spent the past five or six years getting rid of industry-qualified staff from the lecturing cohort. BUT, what we definitely DON'T need, on top of all that crap, is some self-serving special interest group pushing for a closed shop!

I'd argue for a real return to the traditional apprenticeship underpinned by the HN/SVQ framework delivered (as once was) through day/block release (at properly structured colleges) and the availability of night classes - HND equivalence (essentially year 2 of a degree) being the academic benchmark for qualified status.

NOT more pathetic box ticking!

My background is as a broadcast systems tech, - specifically I'm a lighting cameraman (4 1/2 years apprenticeship with some 38 years experience in total under my belt) which means over the years I've had to get HNDs in Electrical and Electronic Engineering on top of my own trade's C&G qualifications.

I've also had to complete additional training specific to film & TV lighting and electrical safety. - AND had to study/qualify in various other subjects; eventually reaching Masters level.

My Father was a Stow lecturer before me (he was at Hunterston for many years, thereafter SSEB training) - similar story with him; 4 1/2 years at Avery's as was, decades of study after. He specialised in power engineering; he'll still tell you he's "an Electrician". That used to be the way it was...

But not for many a long year it seems.

In my work I often find myself supervising sparks on set... And trust me; I die a little when I see the standards some of the younger - often supposedly 'approved' - Electricians apply.

SELECT membership, in my experience, is about as reliable an indicator as five-star Trustpilot status IMO. It guarantees very little.

Sure... I'd like to see proper regulation put in place, and the cowboys weeded out as much as the next guy, but for them to be pushing the political buttons is laughable!

 

[Pete999]

think mebbee it would be politic to get a couple of these 2000 unqualified bods round to rewire nicola sturgeon's gaff.

Reckon that would do the biz, specially if they aint qualified and all .

 

[Phillip]

In Wales, we have 5 day wonders. £400 for the part P, then £400 to £500 for the scam costs. They then spend a lot on the signage for the van and T shirts saying I'm a electrician. You couldn't make it up if you tried.

 

[Pete999]

In Wales, we have 5 day wonders. £400 for the part P, then £400 to £500 for the scam costs. They then spend a lot on the signage for the van and T shirts saying I'm a electrician. You couldn't make it up if you tried.

Scams, Schemes, call em what you like they are the dark destroyers of honest Electricians suitably experienced and qualified, about time someone from this great Government of ours to stamp on it, after all they started all this Part P carp, knee jerk reaction because some cowboy nearly injured one of their offspring's.