CABLEtalk

SELECT Member David White reveals the benefits apprentices have brought to his business over the last 30 years – while his trainees give their verdicts on their journey to becoming electricians After more than 30 years running David White Electrical (DRW Ltd), David White has learnt the huge value that apprentices can bring to a business. They’ve helped his firm grow and develop, brought enthusiasm and fresh talent, and allowed David’s son to follow in his footsteps by comple

Join our pre-lockdown journey to inspect a remote Mull of Kintyre lighthouse As part of the criteria for SELECT membership, Technical Advisers are required to carry out periodic assessments of Members and their work. While scheduling such an assessment with Wullie McMaster of McMaster Electrical, he asked if I wanted to inspect a recently refurbished installation. The only catch? It was six hours from SELECT HQ. And it was a lighthouse. Always up for a challenge, we duly di

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being hailed as the future of transport – but what benefits could they bring to your business? To kick off this special 28-page report, we spoke to Willie Fairhurst, Managing Director of SELECT Member firm Essential Cloud Solutions (ECS), who have been successfully using EVs in their fleet for eight years Hello Willie. How many EVs do you have at ECS? Out of our fleet of seven vehicles, three are currently full EVs – two Nissan e-NV200 vans plus

Guests enjoyed a night to remember at Edinburgh Castle as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) The SJIB Board with Jamie Hepburn at the 50th anniversary party Leading lights from across the electrical industry gathered at Edinburgh’s most famous landmark to raise a glass or two to the SJIB’s half-century. Guests who enjoyed a glittering evening in the castle’s Queen Anne Room included representatives from SELECT, Unite the Union,

Determined Marc McQuade has overcome family heartache to be named Apprentice of the Year at the SELECT Awards 2019 Marc McQuade has already been through a lot in his 26 years. His future career once looked uncertain as he tried a string of different jobs without finding something that suited him. After deciding on an apprenticeship with WMQ, he started to shine as his career got off to an incredible start. But in 2018, he tragically lost his mum when she passed away sudden

The Edinburgh Electrical Society opens up its archives to CABLEtalk to reveal pride in its past and hope for the future One of Scotland’s most revered electrical associations is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary – amid concerns about its long-term future. The Edinburgh Electrical Society began life in 1919 as The Electric Club. It was formed after the use of electricity became more widespread and the technology involved became of interest not just to universities, bu

An exclusive guided tour of Dundee’s V&A museum was among the items on the agenda at this year’s Central Board meeting The SELECT Tayside Branch rolled out the red carpet as the hosts of this year’s Central Board, treating guests to a private behind-the-scenes tour of Dundee’s stunning V&A. Board members were expertly guided around Scotland’s first design museum by John Tavendale, Project Director at Turner & Townsend, who revealed some of the secrets behind the award-winn

The past three decades have seen the AKD family expand and prosper – and founder Keith Miller and managing director Keith Groom are now looking forward to an even brighter future Every anniversary is worth celebrating, but reaching your 30th is extra special. Just ask the team at Edinburgh-based Member company AKD, who hit that milestone in March. “It’s fantastic,” said Keith Miller, who founded AKD back in 1989. “There have been ups and downs along the way, but we’re reall