INDUSTRY COMMENT Ready to engage I
BCIA President Graeme Rees looks ahead to the association’s first ever conference and believes it will help generate more member engagement in tackling various issues within the building controls industry
n last month’s column I summarised some of the issues I would like to try and tackle during my tenure as BCIA President. Greater member engagement is something I am very keen to drive and I believe that the BCIA’s first conference on 5th May will be an ideal way to ‘kick-start’ this. The unpredictability of the last couple of years has seen many organisations with large commercial premises re-assess the way they manage their buildings and ask themselves whether they can do things better. With the UK’s Net Zero target now in place it really is a question of ‘when’ not ‘if’ our buildings can be made more energy efficient. This will give firms involved in the manufacture and integration of building controls a real opportunity to get involved in more and more projects and we at the BCIA can provide guidance, support, advice and leadership. Even in the tough times during lockdown BCIA membership has continued to increase and large system integrators who previously were not members or who are elapsed members are joining which gives me reason to believe we are on the right track.
Carlo Gavazzi hp BSEE Apr22.qxp_Layout 1 4/3/22 10:49 Page 1
I have no doubt that the launch of the BCIA’s BEMS Controls Engineer Apprenticeship has triggered a renewed sense of interest in what we have to offer and the contribution the apprenticeship will make in answering the skills shortage could prove to be vital. This is something that I discussed in a webinar for Voltimum Live in February. The industry-wide shortage is proving to be a real challenge for manufacturers and systems integrators alike. However, more and more BCIA members are realising the value in providing a route into the industry through an apprenticeship, and the technical courses and on-the- job assessments provided by our training provider, Group Horizon, ensure apprentices are equipped with the skills and knowledge that match the needs of their employer.
A clearer path
It is a much clearer path than what was available when I was just starting out. As an electrician my first step was to join a small systems integrator as an installer, gradually learning more about the systems and equipment by installing and assisting those that came in later
to engineer it and commission. By attending manufacturers’ courses I learned more of the engineering elements and, step by step, I progressed from there. This kind of route is still possible but, speaking from experience, it was a relatively slow process, it offered me no formally recognised education and was rather specific to one manufacturer’s system. These subjects plus many
more will, I’m sure, be open for discussion at the conference, which does of course precede the BCIA Awards taking place later that evening. With Covid wreaking havoc upon our calendars over the last couple years it does seem like the prestigious event has come around very quickly this year but that probably has something to do with the fact it’s
only about seven months since we hosted the 2021 Awards!
Welcome
Following my official unveiling as the BCIA’s new President in March I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Paul Wetherfield as the new Vice-President. Paul joined the BCIA Management Committee in 2017 and his passion for recruiting young, talented engineers into the industry make him a huge asset to the BCIA’s cause. March also saw us welcome three new members to the Management Committee. Stacey Lucas, Simon Patman and Matt Brown have all taken different routes into the industry, which will help bring some fresh perspectives to the committee and I look forward to working with them.
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www.bsee.co.uk BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2022 9
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