BSEE_June09_COVER:BSEE_July08_COVER 21/5/09 15:33 Page 1
BSEE
BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER
JUNE 2009
The authoritative voice of the industry
TM
Putting the intelligence Cutting edge operation Lighting for education
into MediaCityUK Despite the £billions ploughed into the Correct lighting is important
EnTech reveal more about the NHS over the past 10 years, managing in all areas of life. Here Luxo
project at MediaCityUK which the budget continues to be one of the talk about how to make the
is being developed. biggest challenges facing NHS Trusts. most of light in the
See page 21 See page 22 classroom. See page 25
The hunt is on for ambassadors Is time running out?
SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for building services engineering has launched New legislation taking effect from the start of next year could be
a UK-wide initiative to find people passionate about their work to fill the role of bad news for anyone with air conditioning that is older than five
ambassadors for the sector. years – yet most companies remain ignorant of the major impact
This worthwhile initiative seeks people who can pass on real-life experiences of their this could have on their business.
work to motivate and inspire young people. Ambassadors represent their industry Now, air conditioning manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric is
within the sector and ensure that it remains an aspirational career choice, guaranteeing looking to raise awareness of the issue and highlight all available
a steady stream of fully qualified candidates for when the UK recovers from recession. options for companies in a series of dedicated seminars focusing
Paul Antino, director of NRT Electrical and Mechanical, took on the role of on the options around R22.
ambassador and hasn’t looked back since: “It's a way of putting something back into From the start of 2010, it will be illegal for air conditioning
the industry that has served me well over the years. I can also pass on words of installers and service engineers to use virgin R22 refrigerant gas
wisdom that I learned from my own experiences throughout my career.” for air conditioning and refrigeration units, which will therefore
For the ambassadors themselves there is a huge personal development aspect, become increasingly difficult to maintain and in a lot of cases will
allowing them to develop their own communication skills and profile within the need immediate replacement if they break down.
industry. As the title suggests, there is a lot of credibility, profile and respect attached “R22 gas is potentially harmful to the ozone so it is being phased
to the role. out in stages which is good news for the environment but bad news
Keith Marshall, OBE, chief executive of SummitSkills, said: “The Ambassadors for anyone whose older system decides to break down or fail after
Scheme is open to anyone within the sector, from craft technician to technical the end of this year,” explained Richard Cooper, national marketing
manager. It is an opportunity to help steer the future of building services engineering, manager for Mitsubishi Electric.
by inspiring young people, sharing personal experience, and motivating new entrants. “People will still be able to get recycled gas for a while, but this
Being an ambassador for your industry is a truly worthwhile and fulfilling role.” needs quite a bit of cleaning before it can be reused and it is likely
Working with STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to become more and more expensive as supplies run short.”
Network) ambassadors go through induction training and are contacted on a regular In addition to recycled gas, the refrigerant industry has developed
basis with details of suitable events in the area requiring ambassador support. a number of ‘drop-in’ alternatives which will also be examined
Ambassadors are required to support one event per calendar year. during their free seminars, which will be held at Mitsubishi Electric’s
SummitSkills has put together a brochure to provide an insight into how the programme works and the benefits of getting involved. Hatfield office on 4 and 16 June and 1 and 14 July.
New president for ECA
Martin Bailey was inaugurated as the president of The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) for 2009-2010 at the opening of the organisation's annual industry conference.
Mr Bailey replaces outgoing president Allan Littler and brings with him almost thirty years of industry experience. He started his career at NG Bailey as a student apprentice in 1980, where he has since
worked his way through the ranks to his most recent roles of managing director of the company's M&E division and subsequently chief innovation officer for the organisation.
"Having long recognised the ECA's valuable role in terms of industry knowledge and influence, it's a huge honour to be inaugurated as president of such an established institution," said Mr Bailey. "I'd also
like to acknowledge Allan Littler's contribution in a time of economic uncertainty, and thank him for all his hard work during his presidency."
During his acceptance speech at the conference, Mr Bailey outlined his aims for the year ahead, particularly the commitment to delivering best practice and innovation which will be key to the electrical
contracting industry meeting the challenges and opportunities that it will encounter in the tough economic climate we will face over the next year.
Another major focus during Mr Bailey's term in office will be sustainability; ensuring members are conscious of the environmental agenda and equipped to meet the demands of governmental targets,
including legislation and regulatory changes.
In order to meet these challenges head on and remain competitive going forward, the industry will have to continue its investment in training, a topic on which he shares the huge passion of former ECA
presidents Allan Littler and Bob Hall, who introduced and pioneered the ECA's £10million Training Fund in 2008.
Mr Bailey said: "In times like these, I believe that innovation is more important than ever. It should be an urgent priority for all contractors to implement smarter ways of working throughout the entire supply
chain."
Allan Littler welcomed Mr. Bailey to the role and wished him the best for the year ahead, saying: "Despite the difficulties faced by the industry, contractors represented by the ECA continue to be resilient. I
have no doubt that Martin will be a strong and strategic president during these challenging times, and I pledge my full support for his term in office."
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a71 FOR THE LATEST IN RECRUITMENT SEE PAGES 36-39 a71
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