Wired for business
Working in an industry which is
governed by stringent health and safety regulations, electrical
engineering contractors Q Technical Services (UK) Ltd, knows that
to remain a ‘livewire’ in business it needs to continually update
the skills and knowledge of its workers.
From its head office in Telford in the Midlands, the company
provides electrical installation, testing and maintenance services
for customers all over the UK. In the 13 years since the company
was formed, contractors and chartered surveyors have been able to
rely on Q Technical Services for help with a whole range of
electrical engineering projects from intruder alarms, CCTV systems,
fire alarms and door access controls.
A small enterprise, employing just 9 people, the company prides
itself on its big commitment to staff development, so that it can
maintain its reputation for providing the high quality and safe
electrical installations which its customers have come to
expect.
To help the company put its staff development ambitions into
practice, it was able to tap into support from Semta, the Sector
Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing
Technologies, via the Sector Brokerage Project.
Q Technical Services received support in assessing the skills of
its workers so that it could identify areas of staff development to
ensure employees can continue to work competently and safely now
and in the future.
And with figures quoted by NICEIC, a subsidiary of the
Electrical Safety Council, which state that each year around 20
people die from electric shock or electric burns whilst at work, it
is understandable why Q Technical Services is keen to go to extra
lengths to keep the skills of its workers up to date so that safe
working procedures are followed.
The Brokerage Project helped to identify training which has led
to all of the company’s employees providing even higher levels of
service and safety. And although accident records within the
organisation were already minimal, the company was delighted to
discover that, when they informed their insurance broker about the
ongoing training, they were rewarded with a smaller liability
premium.
In the latest staff training programme all 7 of the company’s
frontline staff have been on an approved Prefabricated Access
Suppliers and Manufacturers Association (PASMA) Scaffold Erection
Course to help them to work safely at higher levels.
In addition, a number of workers have refreshed their skills by
attending a Scissor and Boom Lift Training Course, enabling them to
competently check and operate certain high lifting equipment. All
of Q Technical Services front line staff have also benefited from a
NICEIC Periodic Inspection, Testing and Reporting certification two
day course, aimed at enhancing the knowledge of skilled workers in
a range of areas such as safe working practices, inspection
procedures, electrical testing and earthing arrangements.
Director of Q Technical Services, Helen Jennings, is delighted
with the support the company has received. She said: “Thanks to the
Skills Brokerage Project our workers are now fully equipped to make
an even greater contribution to our business. As well as providing
a means of gaining a more in-depth understanding of our own systems
and procedures, everyone’s confidence has increased as a result of
their updated knowledge, whether to do with changing legislation or
health and safety issues.”
Nic Erskine, Sector Skills Adviser with Semta, who helped the
company tap into help from the Skills Brokerage Project, added: “Q
Technical Services is a prime example of a small company that wants
to maintain its reputation for providing a high quality and safe
service. It is great they have recognised that to give their
customers what they want, as well as staying ahead of the
competition, it is essential that they continually train their
employees to even higher standards. Through the Sector Brokerage
Project the company has been able to take an objective look at its
business, identify a planned programme of staff development and
offset some of the training costs.”
Ends
Media contact: Elaine Essery
Tel 01229 716129
Email Elaine.essery@bbh.myzen.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1. As a Sector Skills Council licensed by government, Semta is
the employer-led organisation at the heart of the skills agenda for
Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies in the UK. The
sectors we represent are: Aerospace, Automotive, Bioscience,
Electrical, Electronics, Maintenance, Marine, Mathematics,
Mechanical, Metals and Engineered Metal Products and Science. Our
role is to the raise skills levels and competitiveness in the
75,000 companies and 2million-strong workforce that make up these
sectors.
The Sector Brokerage Project is funded by the Department for
Education and Skills (DfES), Jobcentre Plus and the European Social
Fund (ESF).