- Coming up on this week's news, a new way for domestic electricians to prove their skills has been unveiled for England and Wales. The British government opens the UK up to foreign trades people, but electrical contract to stay off the list for now. And should car mechanics become electricians if they want to work on electric vehicles? A proposed law has sparked a heated debate. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with The Electric Heating Company. 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 enter prize. There is a new way this week for domestic electricians to prove their skills. A dedicated, experienced worker assessment or EWA has been unveiled in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The idea behind it is to tackle the large numbers of residential installers who operate without qualifications that are recognized in the industry. It was developed by The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership and it's backed by all the big players in the trade. The assessment is based on the same content as that for apprentices. So both new entrants and existing workers are evaluated and accredited to the same industry standard. To be eligible to get past the industry gatekeeper, you need to be currently working as a domestic electrician and have at least three years experience. You must also hold at least a level two electrical technical qualification. Once enrolled, you'll have to take five practical performance units, plus BS 7671 2018, and the full inspection and testing qualification. However, a key benefit of the EWA is that existing qualifications can count towards the assessment and do not need to be repeated. Finally, you must undertake the AM2 ED assessment, which means you qualify for an ECS gold card. The Electrical Contractors' Association has praised the introduction of the assessment, calling it a step in the right direction. The organization said it will raise the bar on skills in the domestic electrical sector. In other news, the British government has opened the UK up to a range of foreign trades people. It has relaxed post Brexit immigration rules to allowing bricklayers, carpenters, plasters, and roofers. The move follows lobbying from the construction industry, which says there is still a huge skill shortage. Despite speculation that electricians would be included, they've remained off the list for now. However, numerous other countries have added the profession to their lists of occupation shortages, including Saudi Arabia and Australia. In fact, if a proposed new law is adopted, Australia is going to need a whole heap of sparks. The government of Queensland wants to bring in a rule that only qualified electricians should work on electric vehicles. The move has sparked a debate around the world over whether car mechanics need to become electricians. Proponents say that mechanics are used to dealing with the internal combustion engine, but don't understand high current electrical circuitry. The Electrical Safety Act also says that all solar panel installations should be handled by a licensed electrician. The law states that they should do all the connections and testing and that they must directly supervise cable installation and panel mounting. It follows a shock report earlier this month, which found that nearly all solar installations have major safety concerns. Engineers from US organization Clean Energy Associates said there were safety issues at a whopping 97% of the projects. They said the big problems were unsatisfactory grounding, damaged modules, and poor terminations. But opponents of the bill say that if adopted it will slow the uptake of renewables. They also say that Australia's electricians are already overloaded with work. The law is now out for feedback from the public. In product news this week, a lighting company has unveiled luminaires which can track equipment in a building. The spy lights can, for instance, find an incubator in a hospital or a wheelchair in an airport. Zumtobel says its high accuracy positioning technology can find objects with unparalleled accuracy. And it has now integrated it into its TECTON continuous-row lighting system. It uses a combination of tags and Bluetooth to detect the movement of goods and people to the nearest meter. We reckon we could use these lights here at Line Side Studios to find Gordon's wallet. Whenever it's his round, it mysteriously goes missing. That's where our script writer's trying to get me in trouble. Another nice bit of technology hitting the market this week is an EV charger with a cool display screen. The MaxiCharger from Sevadis is designed for businesses who want to put charge points in their car parks. The thing that we reckon will make this a really popular unit is that the screen and the interface can be branded with the logos and colors of the business in question. See it for yourself in an eFIXX video. The link's in the show notes. MK has this week's started rolling out its revolutionary screwless terminals to more of its product range. It's now added the rapid fixed terminals to its Masterseal Plus Outdoor Double Socket. These are the first outdoor sockets in the world with click terminals. Gordon loves this technology so much, he's gone and made another video about it and he's roped in a load of electricians to help him. I've popped the link in the show notes, so give it a watch. And he's also made a video ahead of this Autumn's ban on fluorescent lamps. In case you haven't heard, the good old flurry tube is heading for the scrap heap. But the good news is that there are lots of alternatives in the shape of LED retrofits. Gordon tried them out and gives his hints and tips for moving to a non-fluorescent world. Again, the link is in the show notes. And finally, if you've been sunning yourself in foreign parts or on a family staycation, and didn't get to tune into last week's livestream, I can tell you that you missed a cracker. We unveiled a surprise new presenter. In fact, he was even a surprise to us. However, not as surprising as watching Gary expertly play the xylophone. Actually, that didn't happen, but you try slipping that word into an electrical podcast. We also talked about the dash from gas to electric heating and lots more. And we had two great guests in the form of Alex and Chris from ENW sponsors, The Electric Heating Company. So get a brew on, sit back, enjoy the show, and find out how they got on with the Challenge wall. The link, as always is in the show notes. And 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, they're the people who've created the Swiss Army knife of solar inverters, along with all weather batteries, very much the Boy Scouts of the solar industry, and it's Sunsynk. Up next for all your circuit protection needs, they're like having an Italian star striker on your premiership team, it's Lewden Palazzoli. Next, they're your one-stop solution provider for EV installations, from domestic to large DC public chargers, it's the ingenious and gifted Garo. 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 to fix all that gear together and to different surfaces, you need fasteners that would win a gold medal, it's Olympic Fixings. 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. The words from a fortnight ago now were gaslighting and donut. And the first person to get both right was kevinhenryvii, who's put an awful lot of effort into his user image. It's pretty impressive. Well done, Kevin. Make sure you click the link in the show notes to claim your prize. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical Newsweek Weekly in association with The Electric Heating Company. 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 torque calibrated arm.