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www.eca.co.uk In brief
■ NG Bailey has won a £7m contract to provide a range of services to Circle, a social enterprise that forms the largest partnership of healthcare professionals in Europe, along with Vinci Construction UK, the main contractor.
■ Sanyo has announced the launch of its international solar installer initiative in the UK, the Sanyo Solar Premium Installer Programme. The campaign is designed as the fi rst dedicated support network of its kind for solar PV installers in the UK – providing them with sales leads from their region, direct communication with Sanyo on the latest technologies, and their own customisable micro-site to help promote their business.
■ The Wandsworth Group has promoted John Evans to the role of regional sales manager for the southern region, with responsibility for growing the company’s customer base and profi tability across its product portfolio.
■ Cheshire-based solar PV specialist, The Green Electrician, has won a distribution contract with Stockport Homes worth more than £4m. The contract will include the design and supply of 1,300 domestic solar PV kits ready for installation.
■ A survey by PwC and the Construction Products Association (CPA) of more than 100 leading businesses in the building products sector has called for more support and vision from government, as nearly 100 per cent recognise sustainability will be key to their future. A third of those surveyed considered sustainability as important to their business as supply chain security, energy costs, regulation and skills.
Government moves to cut apprenticeship red tape
THE GOVERNMENT HAS outlined new measures on cutting red tape that deters employers from taking on apprentices. Skills minister John Hayes has announced a package of new measures to make it easier for employers to take on large numbers of apprentices. Payments will be
simplifi ed, contracts streamlined and a number of data returns and audit requirements will be eliminated. Hayes said that fi rms that contract directly with the government to train apprentices will now benefi t from simplifi ed payment, reporting and assessment requirements. They will also receive better guidance to help them manage the
procedures and unnecessary layers of paperwork. We’ve worked with business to cut bureaucracy and ensure the benefi ts for employers, learners and the economy are maximised.’
recruitment, training and assessment of apprentices more effi ciently and cost effectively.
Business secretary Vince Cable said: ‘Apprenticeships are proving an increasingly effective training route for young people and companies. They are a
proven way to fi ll skills gaps in our economy, and that’s why we are boosting the number of apprenticeships and putting them at the heart of our Skills for Growth strategy.
‘But for far too long, too many businesses have been put off by overly complex
SAVING WITH SOLAR
THE AVERAGE homeowner in the UK could save £32,000 – more than £1,200 per year – through the installation of solar panels, according to a new savings calculator provided by the Our Solar Britain initiative. Located at www.
oursolarbritain.co.uk, the consumer campaign’s energy calculator combines estimated savings on energy bills with potential fi nancial gains from
the government’s Feed in Tariff (FIT) to give users an idea of the money they can make through adopting renewable energy over a 25-year period.
An average home in the UK will generate 2,850kW per year, some of which can also be sold back to the National Grid through the FIT incentives.
Kamil Shah of Wagner
Solar, one of the backers of the Our Solar Britain project, commented: ‘The Our Solar Britain Solar Calculator demonstrates in seconds just how compelling the argument to install solar is for homeowners in the UK. ‘Britain is well behind many European nations in adopting solar technology, but given both the fi nancial and the ethical incentives, the UK is destined to catch up.’
Legrand makes Forbes top 100
Legrand has been named in the top 100 of the world’s most innovative companies by Forbes magazine.
The company, which is a world leader in wiring devices and cable management, was ranked 80th in a list that was topped by
Salesforce.com and Amazon. It invests between four and fi ve per cent of its net sales each year in research and development. Tony Greig, chief executive of Legrand in the UK, said: ‘This is a great honour for Legrand. It places us amongst some of the world’s leading brands.’
Group CEO of the ECA Steve Bratt added: ‘Eighty- fi ve per cent of the electrical contracting industry is made up of SMEs, the backbone of UK plc, but they are being severely damaged by present economic circumstances and fi nd it challenging to invest in apprentices. ‘In the craft sector, we are sitting on a ticking time bomb. If we don’t act now, we will not have the homegrown talent needed to fulfi l this country’s potential.’
November 2011 ECA Today 7
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