SELECT Awards 2010 – Site Visits

This year we’ve been trying to take out any remaining mystery about what happens when you enter the Awards. Last month David Wright discussed how to make sure your entry form has the “wow” factor, to get your story across to the panel at the first stage. This month we take

you through the next stage of the process – the site visit. At the paper entry judging a shortlist for each category is drawn up, and each company on that shortlist will be visited at their premises by members of the judging team. It’s not a surprise visit – we have no

intention of catching anyone out – and the date and time will have been previously arranged to suit everyone.

Head Judge, SELECT’s Tom Mitchell, has visited every company on the shortlists of the past four Awards, and can definitely be considered an old hand who has the system down pat. He explains: “We always try and make the site visit a pleasant experience. We don’t want anyone to feel they are being interrogated or put on the spot. The site visit is very useful for several reasons. It lets the judges make sure

the reality backs up the paper entry, and to ask any questions that arise from the entry form. Importantly it gives the entrant the chance to get more of their story across.” Tom goes one: “The visit usually takes about an hour, and we talk to the entrant in depth about their category (or categories if they’ve entered more than one), have a look around and take a couple of photographs. We’ll answer any questions about what happens next and that’s it.”

Each entrant who

makes it to the shortlist is entitled to two places at the Awards

ceremony (which includes Champagne reception, dinner and entertainment) plus overnight

accommodation for two at the Radisson in Glasgow where the event takes place. Tom concludes: “To

make it on to the short list is quite an achievement in itself. You’ve already seen off some stiff competition from the whole of Scotland.” Tom would also like

to take this opportunity to squash, once and for all, the rumour that anyone offering cream cakes to the judges during the site visit is automatically marked up.

Tenth National Training Awards winners announced

ceremony.

SummitSkills celebrated the achievements of the sector’s finest talent at the recent Tenth National Training Awards.

Apprentices, engineers and managers picked up an array of prestigious awards at the

The Alfred Manly Management Award is an award celebrating the achievements of young engineers who have been judged to be capable of progressing to a senior management role within the industry. This year one of the

winners was Scot Brian McFarlane, employed by Vaughan Engineering Ltd, and who has successfully completed an HNC in Contracting Management at Carnegie College and was awarded the Issac Sclar prize for best student.

The ceremony also

Industry News

Managing Director

Newell McGuiness

Managing Editor

David Wright

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Heather Martin

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Antony Begley

Editorial

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Georgia Love 0141 222 5385

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T. Paul Begley

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Iain McQueen 0141 222 5383

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Designer

Richard Chaudhry 0141 222 5390

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Circulation

Circulation Executive

Cara Thomson 0141 222 5381

cthomson@55north.com

CABLEtalk is produced monthly by 55 North Ltd on behalf of SELECT.

awarded the Chair’s Discretionary Award in Recognition of Outstanding Performance at WorldSkills 2009 to Richard Sagar, who won a Gold Medal in

Electrical Installation at the international competition in Calgary last year.

55 North Ltd, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6AY Tel: 0141 22 22 100 Fax: 0141 22 22 177

SELECT, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate,

Midlothian EH26 0SB Tel: 0131 445 5577 Fax: 0131 445 5548

CABLEtalk is the official magazine of SELECT and is distributed free to qualifying readers. For a registration card, call 0141 222 5386. Other readers may obtain copies by annual

subscription at £50 (UK) including Directory of Members.

ISSN 1365-3288. © 55 North Ltd 2006. All rights reserved.

SELECT is the trading style of the Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland. The SELECT logo is a registered Collective Mark.

Brian McFarlane with Ben Law and Graham Manly. Richard Sagar with Ben Law and Ian Livesey.

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