Stewart Clements, HHIC Director, speaks about launching the new Installers First division.
If you are an avid twitter user like me (it doesn’t matter if you’re not, I’ll give you the brief) you will have seen how, over recent weeks and months, the plumbing and heating industry has come together with a common goal – to have its voice heard.
Thousands of Gas Safe engineers have joined together to voice their opinion on circumstances within the industry which were seemingly outside of their control, or so they thought. Discussions were had about schemes, training and skills and the odd bit of banter about tools. Whether this ‘movement’ had any actual effect on its target, or not; what cannot be denied is the camaraderie and sense of power felt by those involved.
Gas safe engineers need a voice; up, down and across the industry. We need to communicate with each other, with the Government, with manufacturers and anyone else who has an influence on our livelihood.
How can we do this? Well, the reality is that we must remain aware of and be prepared to respond to, a variety of changes from external factors. Government policy, European legislation, Building regulations, Gas safety, the list goes on. It has never been more important for everyone in the industry to get involved and provide a constructive contribution, and by that, I don’t mean twitter. A well-crafted, well timed tweet may get you admiration from your peers for 20 seconds if you’re lucky, but in terms of helping to affect actual change that impacts YOUR BUSINESS, it’s about as useful as waterproof tea bags.
Coming together like we have in recent months is just the beginning. If we are to be properly heard we need links and influences. The good news is that Installers First can provide those links and influences – it costs nothing to be a part of it and the benefits are immeasurable.
Installers First?
Installers First is a community of Professional Accredited Heating Installers. The voice of installers, for installers, by installers.
It provides installers with information and an opportunity to help shape the industry and government regulation and policy, making sure common sense and the voice of the industry is applied and listened to.
Installers First – why now?
Installers First was created to provide a platform for Installers to have their say and a single point of information, on the latest industry developments. This includes government consultations for proposed legislation, regulation and schemes like ECO and Green Deal.
Installers First has been busy gathering industry feedback over the past few months. That feedback has been used to identify three key ambitions;
- Training and skills – to review and improve the current entry to the industry and ensure training meets the needs of installers.
- Bureaucracy – make it Gas safe and only gas safe and improve consumer awareness.
- Safety and Standards – increase focus on driving up standards across the industry, ensuring safety is paramount.
We’ve already got a couple of projects in the pipeline which we know you will all welcome.
Why should you register?
- It gives you a forum for raising industry concerns, with the right people, at the right time.
- It’s free
- It’s independently operated
- It will help you to keep up to date with government plans and industry news.
- You can have your say by responding to consultations from the Government, OFGEM and other bodies that affect your work.
- It will provide you with a link to the wider professional installer community
- Access to the boiler manuals, all in one place
Who runs Installers First
This one is easy; you do. Installers First is for you. We have some Gas Safe installers on board supporting us. We also work with Installers Unite with a shared goal of improving this industry for the better.
Installers Unite
- Craig Brierley (@AlphaTec_)
- GMG (@GasmanGod)
- Tony Dumble (@Unequaledheatin)
- Peter Booth (@pbplumber)
- Stewart Mackie (@HeatingControls)
- Dennis Hollingworth (@Doitlikedenbo)
- Ian Forbes (@IanPlumbing)
With your help, we will make a real change and the voice of the installer will be heard.
We’re just in the process of appointing all of our installer champions who are helping us to ‘spread the word’. On that note; if you’d like to find out what’s involved in being an installer champion, then let us know!
