ePolitix.com speaks to David Pollock, group CEO at the Electrical Contractors' Association, about the role of the organisation and its relationship with government.

Question: Who are your members and how do you support them?

David Pollock: The ECA represents the interests of 2,800 member companies involved in electrical installation work. Collectively, the member companies have an annual turnover of more than £5bn, employ over 30,000 operatives and support 8,000 apprentices in craft training.

Our role is to provide a focus for the electrical industry in terms of safety, training, qualification, technological development and industry performance. The ECA provides a broad range of support for all its members and its customers in relation to training and employment, sustainability, and health and safety to allow contractors to display best business practice and benefit the industry as a whole.

Question: What is the most pressing issue for your members at the moment?

David Pollock: As ever, in a constantly evolving industry, there are many pressing issues for our members as they strive to deliver the highest standards of electrical installation. Areas high on the agenda include: payment; pre-qualification and certification; sustainability; health and safety; and skills.

Convergence of electrical and mechanical disciplines in terms of client demands and technical issues is another important area, and we are consulting our members about the possibility of clearer co-operation with the HVCA - the trade association responsible for Mechanical and Building Services.

The ECA provides continual support to members on these and other issues in terms of guidance and training as well as lobbying and discourse with government to drive positive change.

Question: How are the climate change agenda and the focus on sustainability affecting the electrical industry?

David Pollock: The ECA realises that, as part of the wider construction industry, the electrical sector plays a key role in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions.

In order to step-up to the environmental agenda, we believe that standards set by government should be used as part of a broader approach that will force the market in 'low and no carbon' technologies.

However, standards will not be effective if they are not enforced. If not enforced, environmental standards encourage a negative market view of the sustainability agenda and how serious government is about it.

There are already concerns that current standards, such as part L of the building regulations, are not enforced sufficiently.

Question: What is the industry doing to help the UK meet the targets to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050?

David Pollock: The ECA, along with other partners within the Mechanical and Electrical sectors of the construction industry, are working towards helping the building services industry to reduce carbon emissions, reduce waste and improve resource efficiency.

As part of a joint approach to sustainability, the ECA is working closely with the HVCA in terms of industry representation and the provision of practical, expert advice to members and clients on how to reduce carbon emissions.

However, the ECA believes that government needs to focus on energy saving, waste reduction and water if we are to meet the 2050 goal. The ECA believes that government should actively support the uptake of low/no carbon technologies and substantially force the market with fiscal support and incentives.

The ECA is not convinced that, on their own, the measures set out by government in the draft strategy will deliver significant and sustainable reductions in climate change impacts, which rely greatly on the procurement actions of stakeholders.

We feel the government should go further than producing strategies, and use its ability to implement change in this crucial area. The ECA will continue to push government for further action, to make it easier for the industry to play its part in the environmental agenda and to reap the business benefits.

Both associations fully support initiatives such as the onsite waste agreement, whereby waste neutrality is achieved when the value of waste construction materials is matched by the value of reused and recycled content used on a given project.

This will assist developers and contractors to improve project design and delivery, rather than solely trying to influence the types of materials used.

Question: How will the government's target of building three million new homes by 2020 affect electrical contractors?

David Pollock: The government's target of building three million new homes by 2020 provides great opportunity for electrical contractors. The ECA aims to ensure that its members are fully supported to enable them to reap the business benefits that this presents.
 
Question: Are the ECA's members affected by the skills gaps across a number of sectors in the UK? If so, what can be done to improve the skills level of workers in the electrical industry?

David Pollock: The ECA has carried out research to inform its programme of training, which clearly identifies a skills gap within the electrical sector and an urgent need for well-trained staff, up-to-date with current legislation and standard industry best practice.

We believe that upskilling is the key to plugging the skills gap. There is no longer a natural progression - the traditional route of apprentices working their way up through the ranks to management level is declining and will not sustain the future of the industry.

Our aim is to upskill those already working within the construction arena to become an asset, not only to their company, but also to the industry at large. We hope to improve the number of people with basic and management grade skills and provide a new route to becoming an M&E quantity surveyor.

Skilled operatives add value to any organisation and set it apart as a leader in its field, thus giving a business an edge over its competitors.

As part of its commitment to ensuring the provision of a skilled UK workforce, the ECA has launched a training fund to provide extra funding for additional training to meet current and future skills shortages within the industry.

The aim of the ECA training fund is to target and incentivise those ECA members who are already actively involved in training, to increase their levels of training. The fund also aims to give support to ECA members who are unable to invest in training due to financial restraints.

Question: How would you describe your relationship with government?

David Pollock: As the voice of the electrotechnical installation industry, ECA represents this important branch of the UK economy to government with the aim of helping to create an environment within which electrical contracting and allied activities can flourish as sustainable, profitable and socially responsible businesses.