EESTC Pilot Project

UKW has been asked to post this for the general consumptuon of all trade members, please ask your questions as Terry Tudor does have trade access and can answer directly.

Many thanks

Electrical & Electronics Servicing Training Council
1 Ampthill Street
Bedford
MK42 9EY

E.E.S.T.C. Pilot Project

The Electrical and Electronic Servicing Training Council (EESTC) develop ‘Occupational Standards’ from which Awarding Bodies such as City & Guilds and EMTA Awards Ltd produce National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).

We recently took on a new role, looking at the take-up of the NVQ qualifications, which have been very low, and trying to make the industry more aware of them. Colleges and Training Providers require about fifteen candidates to make a class viable and these numbers have not been available in any one area.

For the last three months we have been operating a Pilot Project looking at training needs for both White Goods and Brown Goods. As part of this project we had meetings with first White Goods Manufacturers and then White Goods Service Providers to discuss the structure of the industry and problems linked to training. We then intend to apply for a follow-on project to address these problems. These are the results relating to White Goods and we would be grateful for any comments that you would like to make.

Industry Structure:

Very few Manufacturers have their own service team and even those who do outsource some calls in rural areas.

The majority of Manufacturers outsource service calls to ‘Work Providers’ who have contracts with ‘Service Providers’ all over the country.

Insurance Companies sell extended warranties and cover the repairs using the ‘Work Provider – Service Provider’ route.

Service Providers are paid a set amount for each successful service call they also carry out service work direct to the customer at a more beneficial rate, but this work is reducing.

Skill Shortage:

Manufacturers, Work Provider and Service Providers all agree that there is a skill shortage within the industry and that both recruitment and training are needed.

The cost of training is a big issue with both Manufacturers and Service Providers who are working on very tight margins.

The average age of an engineer in the industry is put in the mid fifties and everyone agrees that apprentices are needed. Government funding is available to train ‘Modern Apprentices’ age 17 to 24 but it is difficult to find a source of training. This age group also give a financial problem with the cost of insurance to drive a vehicle and also the higher cost of public liability insurance.

It was also reported that it was often difficult to obtain technical information on an appliance.

Installation and Handover of a New Appliance:

New appliances may be delivered, installed and demonstrated by a retailer or, if they come direct from a manufacturer, they are delivered and installed by a distribution company. It is rare for a distribution company to demonstrate an appliance.

Most Manufacturers have a help line to assist customers who have a problem with operating their appliance and may pay for one service call where there is ‘no technical fault’. It was suggested that training might be made available to sales staff who could then give a more in-depth demonstration of an appliances functions before the sale was concluded.

Self Diagnosis:

Appliances with self-diagnosis were considered to be on the increase. It was agreed that this in no way degraded the engineer who still had to repair the appliance and that in fact they would need additional I.T. skills.

The WEE Directive:

Questions were raised by Service Providers regarding the definition of service waste, was it trade or domestic. If the customer owned the original faulty part then this could be put in the domestic bin, but what happened to a washer drum or fridge door that was to large to put in the bin. If they were returned did the van need to be registered to carry waste?

It was agreed that the detail of the legislation and the start date were still uncertain but it was suggested that, when clarified, training should be made available to everyone who had direct dealings with customers.

Draft Conclusions:

A training scheme should be developed by a partnership between Manufacturers and Service Providers for the benefit of the whole industry.

The scheme should be available Nation wide and cover both Modern Apprentices and engineers wanting to obtain a nationally recognised qualification as well as additional training on industry related subjects.

Consideration should be given to including video, computer based training and the Internet as delivery methods.

Terry Tudor
Chairman E.E.S.T.C.