- Coming up on this week's news, thousands of electricians vote to quit the trade for a new life down under. Electrical innovations dominate this year's, Build Back better Awards, and we report on the remarkable recovery of the electrical contractor who received the world's first double arm transplant following a massive electric shock. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly, whether you're listening in the van, onsite or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Robinson and I've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble. And as always, if you think you've spotted the two words that I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them below for the chance to win a prize. Thousands of UK electricians are set to hang up their tools in the UK for a new sunshine life down under. An estimated 4,000 sparks have applied for jobs in Western Australia following a recruitment blitz here earlier this year. One determined electrician drove for four hours to submit his CV. In total, some 60,000 Brits, including plumbers, nurses and police officers have bid for the 31,000 jobs available. Paul Papalia, who led the mission to recruit the sparks said that while he knew that plugging a new life in 30 degree Aus would not be a hard sell. He was overwhelmed by the response. However, industry observers say that the loss of so many trained workers will add to the skill shortage and make it harder for the UK to roll out renewable technologies such as solar panels and EV charges. Let us know in the comments if you've applied to go but don't worry if you'd rather stay incognito. There is however good news for those staying in Britain. The UK's top boffin says that electricians have one of the safest jobs in the country as we enter a future of artificial intelligence. Scientist, Lord Rees believes electrical contractors along with plumbers and gardeners are the occupations least likely to be taken over by AI. But many white collar professionals are in trouble. Lawyers, accountants, computer coders and gulp even presenters are already beginning to be replaced by machines. But Rees says that robots can't go to a strange house and fix appliances and install electrical circuits. So skilled blue collar workers may have the last laugh in a future jobs market. In fact, far from stealing our living, computers are actually providing more work for the trade. The boom in data centers is proving a bonanza for the big contracting firms. T Clarke says it made 10 million pounds profit last year largely on the back of these types of projects. In fact, data center cabling accounted for 129 million pounds or 30% of its 426 million pound revenue. And the London based firm says it has a bulging order book to keep it's 1,300 employees and subcontractors busy throughout 2023. It says the orders will put it on track to have sales of half a billion pounds this year. Sounds like they won't just be buns for tea but roast hummingbird caviar at T Clarke then. Working on those data centers is bringing many electricians into contact with a non-traditional method of bringing energy to electrical equipment. Power over ethernet, also known as POE, enables the electrical current necessary for operating each device to be carried by data cables instead of twin and earth. It's been used for computers and small electronic equipment for years, but increasingly it's being used for applications such as low energy LED lighting, security cameras, control units and audio visual equipment. An expert says that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to POE and contractors could be wasting their time connecting electrical installations with standard wiring because they're simply not aware that ethernet cables can do the job. Rob Pritchard of Darby based company Scenario believes that POE isn't a threat to electrical contractors but an opportunity for it to upskill itself and stop work going to other trades. The firm has become only the second UK firm to join the power over ethernet consortium a global industry trade group set up last year to promote the technology. Pritchard says that in a low carbon world smart buildings will be the future and power over ethernet is vital to that world. Still on innovation, the results of the Build Back Better Awards have been unveiled for 2023 and the good news is that electrical inventions have dominated the winners. Myenergi swept the boards with no fewer than four winners in four categories. It's electrical system of the Zappy Charger, the Eddie Inverter and the Libby Battery proved a big hit with judges who awarded it both gold and green ratings. The experts cited the range because they say it forms a seamless network in a home with each device integrating with the others to maximize the savings from renewable energy. Taking gold was the Aereco home ventilation system which varies airflow rates according to indoor air quality. A light switch from Retrotouch, which operates wirelessly and needs no battery also took a gold. Others taking gongs included the ArcBox enclosure which is designed to snap around a DC connector in a solar panel installation. It ensures that if an arc ever occurs it is safely contained and doesn't spread to combustible materials. The judges thought it was an important contribution to safety and awarded it a platinum rating. EV charges making the grade included the I07 from Ratio, the Ohme range and the Monta app. The judges also loved the Zypho which recovers heat from the wastewater from a shower. They gave it both a platinum and a green award. I actually made a video on that last year while I was down at Future Build. You can find that over on our sister channel Efix Energy. Again, I'll leave a link in the show notes. In the circular economy section, they gave an award to a chandelier made by Diplomat Design from discarded laughing gas canisters and light switches from Schneider made from waste fishing nets. You can see a full list of winners on the Build Back Better Awards website, I've popped a link in the show notes. And finally, the trade continues to be amazed by the remarkable recovery of the electrician who received the world's first double arm transplant. Felix Gretarsson received a massive electric shock in 1998 while working on power lines in his native front, there was confusion about how far he needed to go down the power line to get to the part that needed fixing, and he grabbed the wrong cable. When he received the electric shock, both his arms immediately caught on fire and he fell 32 feet to the ground. He broke his back in three places and fractured his neck. Later in hospital surgeons decided it was best to amputate both arms, but a determined Gretarsson convinced them to replace them in the world's first double arm and shoulder transplant. And now just two years after his operation, the electrician has achieved a remarkable milestone. He has shocked surgeons by getting back on his bike, an activity he used to enjoy before his accident. Gretarsson says his steering still isn't the best, but he's getting there. He's even started cycling to his hospital appointments. His next ambition, in 2024 the plucky spark is planning to climb Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. Really inspiring stuff. All the best, Felix, we're rooting for you. Now, just before we get to your favorite bit of the show where I reveal last week's challenge words and winners, we want to thank our premium partners. We couldn't make the news without you. First up, for all your circuit protection needs they're like having an Italian star striker in your Premiership team, it's Lewden Palazzoli, and the best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, it's Doncaster Cables, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality cables and one of the biggest lighting companies in the world because their capital is always Dublin. It's Irish lighting manufacturer, Robus home of great quality and innovative lighting products. Big thanks to you all, we really appreciate your ongoing support for the news. If you think you know the words I've smuggled into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments and we'll dig out a goodie bag prize to the first to get the right answers. Last week's words were equilibrium and hypnotic. And the first person to get both right was someone who goes by the name Captain Stephen. Whether or not that's an official rank has not been disclosed, but either way click the link to claim your prize, Captain. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly. Make sure you subscribe to receive the next update. Thanks for listening, and until next time have a great week, stay safe out there and remember, there's no such thing as a top calibrated arm.