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SPARKSAFE ARRIVES ON THE MAINLAND

John Peckham
I saw the announcement at the Elex show in Harrogate that NAPIT had formed a partnership with Sparksafe. I assume all NAPIT registered contractors will gain automatic status for the License to Practice without needing the qualifications for direct membership?


I did hear that a well known rail contractor walked away from a contract as they did not have enough operatives that met the LtP criteria.


I am thinking that if it did gain traction a lot of contractors would be in the brown stuff as they would no longer be able to use cheap unqualified labour.


Google Sparksafe to see what it is all about. They don't seem to have many members at the moment.
  • 0
    Never heard of it/them.
  • 0
    what problem is it supposed to solve I wonder ?
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Is this the 'electrical' version of GASAFE (CORGI)

    https://sparksafeltp.co.uk/


    Does this mean 'all' electricians have to be 'qualified' to do electrical work ? rather than 1 electrician over seeing a team of say 150 unqualified workers ?
  • 0

    "Being recognised as a competent, skilled and qualified Electrical Worker before employers, Clients and industry peers is at the core of the online electrical Licence to Practise system.  Electrical Licence to Practice is about connecting the competencies of Licenced Electrical Workers with Contracts.



    The online system requires Electrical Workers to register for one of three Licence types. These are QE (Qualified Electrician), REW (Restricted Electrical Worker) or AE (Apprentice Electrician).



    Unqualified and underqualified workers have entered the supply chain via false self-employment routes and on the back of short form courses and unassessed skills.  In many cases, this has blurred the lines between fully qualified and semi qualified workers right through to the low end of the cowboy spectrum.  The online system will be used by Clients to verify the composition of the Electrical Contractor’s direct and indirect workforce by Licence type. This means that Licenced Electrical Workers will become much more valuable to employers and Clients."


    Z.


  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Hi Zoom , hope you are well...


    so do we reckon SPARKYSAFE will soon be recognised in the same way GASAFE is ?


    I'm not so sure , unless it gets serious marketing money thrown at it and some prime time national TV advertising
  • 0
    " Electrical Licence to Practise sets out to re-establish the identity and value of the industry’s best asset – the Electrical Worker.  A preoccupation with H&S accreditation has diminished the place of the vocational credentials and identity of Electrical Workers in the contemporary industry."


    Interesting idea to suggest that vocational credentials takes preference over health and safety. Always thought that you couldn't have one without the other.


    Legh
  • 0

    mapj1:

    what problem is it supposed to solve I wonder ?




    There is not a part P scheme in Northern Ireland, so there it is an alternative to the scheme in England and Wales not a compliment to them.


    Andy. 

  • 0
    That appears to be NI scheme spreading to the mainland.


    sparksafeltp.co.uk/.../


    Myself , I have just re-registered as MIET and REng with EC ,but JIB is gold card renewal is it now worth all this bother. 

    From 01 July 2019, any existing Installation or Maintenance Electrician gold card holders who have let their card lapse for more than a year will be required to renew as a Registered Electrician. 


    www.jib.org.uk/changes-to-the-ecs-card-scheme-from-2019

    regards

    jcm


  • 0
    Wot, we have to be qualified and registered now? So how does experience count? As Reggie Perrin's boss C.J. would say: "I didn't get where I am today by registering on expensive schemes." Anyway I've got my hands full fighting off the local Trading Standards Dept. ?There is only so much one person can do.


    Z.

  • 0
    I raised this with you guys two or three years ago. Efforts were being made to crack the mainland. There maybe merit in the scheme but more importantly, there is a definite revenue stream for the operator. 

    We have had the scheme in place in NI for quite a while and it seems to have the same enthusiasm attached to it as Change UK!. The idea is that a client will have access to an online register so that he can monitor the make-up of the electrical personnel on site. The Central Procurement Directorate here were one of the first to require contractors to be signed up to it. contractors pay £750 per year (I think) and their personnel something like £50 every three years. 

    Interestingly, no one has any evidence whatsoever that the scheme is achieving the desired outcomes. Perhaps you guys will want to ask that question before embracing it.

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