EDA Update
Princess Royal Training Award The Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) has received its second Princess Royal Training Award, reaffirming its commitment to excellence in workforce development.
EDA celebrates second T
he award recognises the EDA’s suite of 12 Product Knowledge Training Modules, which continue to set the benchmark for skills development in the UK’s electrotechnical sector. The award was presented in December 2025 at an inspiring ceremony held at Fishmongers’ Hall, London, where Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the City & Guilds of London Institute, honoured 56 outstanding organisations from across the UK and Ireland.
Representing the Association were Keith Avenell, managing director of 3 Line Electrical Wholesale, member of the EDA Board of Management and Chair of the EDA Education and Training Ambassadors; Margaret Fitzsimons, EDA CEO; and Anne Vessey, head of marketing and communications. Anne was standing in for Tracy Hewett, the EDA’s Head of Education and Training, who was unable to attend but was instrumental in the Association securing this second award. Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO of the EDA, said: “To win such a high-profile award for a second time is an amazing endorsement of the training we offer to EDA businesses. Whilst it is the EDA’s name on the Award, the credit really belongs to the product experts from EDA manufacturers and wholesalers
who worked so hard, pooling their knowledge for the good of the sector to create this training. On behalf of the sector and the Association, we couldn’t be more delighted.”
The EDA first achieved this prestigious award in 2022 and, following a rigorous reassessment process, has retained it in 2025 for a further three years. Since their introduction in 2018, the EDA’s Product Knowledge Modules have become an essential resource for the sector.
The Princess Royal Training Awards are more than a badge of honour – they demonstrate the tangible impact of exceptional training. Research shows that 86% of award recipients report higher productivity and collective data from award holders indicates savings of over £62 million linked to revenue growth from training programmes.
EDATA gains live ETIM International link
In other news, the UK’s EDATA data pool, which is managed by the EDA, has become one of only five European data pools with a live external link from within the heart of ETIM International’s online Classification Management Tool (CMT) – a link which is designed to help manufacturers adopt the ETIM standard for their products. Whilst EDATA is the “new kid on the block” in terms of data pools, it now takes its place alongside the pre-eminent
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established pools that also have a live ETIM link, including 2ba in the Netherlands, Installdata in Belgium and the Swedish and Finnish data pools RSK and Sahkonumerot.
The live link between the ETIM system and EDATA offers UK manufacturers practical and invaluable help and support with the ETIM classification. From the ETIM International site, the live EDATA link connects directly into EDATA where visitors can see every product listed in that class.
EDATA lead, Richard Appleton, head of digitalisation at the EDA, explains: “Logical and consistent information about a product’s performance and technical spec is key to driving sales – wholesalers and contractors need that information. This is why it is important for all manufacturers in our sector to adopt ETIM – there is real strength in consistency.
“This direct ETIM-EDATA link is yet another way we are helping UK manufacturers apply the ETIM standard to their products – it’s all about transparency, sharing best practice and encouraging consistency. From the ETIM site the link takes visitors straight to the same class of products in the EDATA data pool, allowing manufacturers to drill down and see how others have interpreted ETIM standard for their products and adopt a consistent approach.”
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