News Cautious optimism – but it’s still tough
BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN THE electrical contracting industry is improving, according to the ECA’s latest Quarterly Business Trends Survey (QBTS). Headline fi gures show that 28 per cent of ECA member businesses saw an increase in turnover during the fi rst quarter of 2012, an improvement of four per cent compared to the previous quarter. Steve Bratt, ECA group chief
executive offi cer, said: ‘We are very pleased that some members are starting to see an increase in turnover, and that they are anticipating an
increase in enquiries for the next quarter. This is especially reassuring, given that we are currently experiencing a “double dip” recession.’ A third (33 per cent) of members turning over between £200,000 and £1m reported an increase in revenue for Q1 2012, up nine per cent compared to the previous quarter. This category has seen a steady increase in turnover for the last 18 months, with optimism now at its highest level since the fi rst quarter of 2011. Bratt concluded: ‘The next 12 months will be an interesting time
TOP APPRENTICES HONOURED TWO TOP ELECTRICAL
apprentices have been honoured in the 2012 ECA Edmundson Awards, for their consistently high standard of academic and technical work.
NG Bailey London employee Samuel Cox scooped the title of 2012 Apprentice of the Year, and Jason Hale from South Wales company Cwmbran Electrical
Services won the Adult Trainee of the Year 2012 award. Managing director of
Edmundson Electrical, Gordon Love, commended the two operatives and employer representatives from NG Bailey and Cwmbran Electrical Services, who were all presented with certifi cates marking the achievement.
for the electrical sector and despite increasing speculation, the Green Deal is expected to be introduced in the autumn. This will create more project opportunities for contractors, especially if, as we have been calling for, there is a focus on active energy- saving measures, such as lighting and controls, which can have remarkably short payback periods. Overall I’m pleased to see some bright spots on the horizon, but it’s still tough out there for those in our industry, and we have a long way to go before we turn a corner.’
Congratulations were also extended by ECA president, Paul McNaughton.
In addition to their titles, Samuel and Jason’s awards include substantial prizes sponsored by Edmundson Electrical, including £1,000 and a contractors’ tool kit. In September, both winners
will be taken on a tour of the Paris headquarters of manufacturer Schneider Electric, where they will get a glimpse of the manufacturing side of the electrical industry. This will no doubt be a unique learning experience as they launch their careers in the industry. As well as the main awards,
(Left to right) ECA president Paul McNaughton, Samuel Cox, Jason Hale and managing director of Edmundson Electrical Gordon Love
12 fi nalists around the country are also receiving presentations as regional winners in the competition.
Diane Johnson wins First Women Award
DIANE JOHNSON, ECA skills ambassador and past president, has become the fi rst ever winner of Real Business and the CBI’s First Women in the Built Environment Award. The accolade is in recognition of her groundbreaking work in transforming the electrical industry through the ECA’s pioneering initiative, Wired for Success: ECA Women into Electrical Contracting, which aims to encourage more women into the electrical sector. Johnson’s award also acknowledges her achievements as the fi rst-ever female president of the ECA in its 110-year history.
Founded in 2005 by
Real Business and the CBI, the First Women Awards recognise trailblazing women who are laying the foundations for the next generation of female talent. Johnson commented: ‘Being shortlisted for this award was an honour, but to win against such stiff competition is absolutely fantastic. I am delighted that Wired for Success has been recognised as a groundbreaking and vital programme for the industry. And I am proud that the ECA has been recognised as a real agent for change and leadership in the sector.’
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY FALLS AGAIN
REVISED GDP FIGURES FROM the Offi ce for National Statistics (ONS) in August confi rmed that the UK’s recession deepened further in the second quarter of 2012, as construction activity continued to fall.
Overall, the UK economy shrank by 0.5 per cent between Q1 and
6 ECA Today September 2012
Q2 – revised from the 0.7 per cent fall estimated in July’s original data – with construction output declining by 3.9 per cent over that same period.
The fall in construction between April and June was smaller than had been fi rst thought in July, with the original ONS fi gures indicating a
steeper 5.2 per cent fall. However, the revised fi gures – released on 24 August – still refl ect a serious and sustained contraction in the construction sector, despite a number of recent initiatives by government to spur growth. The UK economy has now contracted for three quarters in a
row as the double-dip recession continues. Commenting on the revised GDP fi gures, Vicki Redwoord, chief UK economist at Capital Economics said: ‘The revision is very small in the big picture and means that output is still more than four per cent below its pre-recession peak.’
SHUTTERSTOCK / MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES
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