Executive opinion Get together


ECA group chief executive offi cer Steve Bratt highlights some of the positives of working together for ECA members and the industry


I


t’s always useful to take stock and see where we’re going. The ECA Annual Review 2011, which was published last month, is worth a read if you want an outline of the extensive work the association has been involved


with over the year. As well as headlining some of the key developments within the industry, the review provides an overview of the achievements of the association, both in delivering new products and services to support members and in leading on strategic initiatives to benefi t the industry as a whole. Launched at the ECA Annual Dinner on 15 February, the


Annual Review provides a snapshot of some of the many things the ECA has been doing on behalf of its members over the past 12 months. From helping businesses diversify through the provision of MCS training and certifi cation, launching the online Renewables and Microgeneration Forum and enhancing technical and business helplines, to lobbying government in areas such as payment practices, standardising pre-qualification processes and the Green Deal, the ECA has been working hard to help members prosper in these challenging times. Among the strategic initiatives mentioned in the review,


one highlight was the ECA’s ground-breaking work with the NICEIC on the report 2021 Vision: The Future of the Electrical Contracting Industry, which identifi ed threats and opportunities within the industry over the next 10 years. If you haven’t read it yet, you should. Also, towards the end of 2011, the ECA, in collaboration


with its partners in the building services arena, SELECT, the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) and the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), launched the Industry Modernisation Forum, an employer-led group that includes representatives of the major member companies and larger independent organisations, working to establish strategic objectives in industrial relations for employers. While the ECA is committed to delivering for its


members, the association also recognises the fundamental importance of working together within the industry, with our partners, to achieve positive outcomes for the industry.


About the author


Steve Bratt Steve Bratt was appointed group chief executive offi cer of the ECA in October 2010. He joined the ECA as chief operating offi cer in 2007, and became deputy CEO in February 2010.


Annual Dinner As usual, many of our industry partners joined with members at the ECA Annual Dinner, held at the Grosvenor House hotel in Park Lane, Central London. It was a successful and hugely enjoyable evening for all concerned. A novel touch to the event was provided by a Welsh male voice choir serenading in our current ECA president, Alun Pearson, who is only the second president to come from Wales in the association’s 111- year history. The main guest speaker for the evening was London


The association recognises the fundamental importance of working together within the industry, with our partners, to achieve positive outcomes


mayoral candidate (and ex-mayor of London) Ken Livingstone, who emphasised the pressing need for increased investment in the UK, particularly in R&D and training, issuing a stark warning about the growing threat from emerging nations and other competitors if we let ourselves slip further behind. A few quips about bankers and Boris may have generated some tabloid headlines, but Ken certainly made some very relevant points to the audience in his well-received speech.


Coming together Ken claimed another novel experience that evening – addressing both the main hall of the Grosvenor House hotel and a small group of protestors outside the venue, who were making their voices heard against the Building Engineering Services National Agreement (BESNA) proposals. Since then, of course, the HVCA’s BESNA proposals have been withdrawn. While welcoming this development, the ECA hopes that


it presents an opportunity for the industry to move forward, working in collaboration with industry colleagues to deliver sustainable change. The association is working to fi nd a solution that works for the entire sector and believes that this is the only approach that makes sense if we are to deliver lasting change for the sector as a whole. In the current climate, more than ever the ECA is


committed to supporting its members – and the broader electrical industry.


March 2012 ECA Today 17


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72