JTL - Delivering Skills For Young People

The ECA represents the interests of electrical installation companies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is the major association working within the electrical installation industry.

It was founded in 1901 and has over 2,000 member companies ranging in size from small traders with only a few employees to large multi-national organisations operating on a worldwide basis.

The aim of the ECA is to ensure that all electrical installation work is carried out to the highest standards by properly qualified staff. Consequently, firms who wish to become members of the ECA must demonstrate that they have procedures, staff and systems of the highest calibre.

The NICEIC is an accredited certification body set up in 1956 to protect users of electricity against the hazards of unsafe and unsound electrical installations. It is the industry's independent electrical safety regulatory body and not a trade association.

The NICEIC maintains a roll of approved contractors that meet the council's rules relating to enrolment and national technical safety standards including BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations). The roll is published annually and regularly updated on the NICEIC website so that consumers and specifiers can select contractors that are technically competent.

The council also employs 46 inspecting engineers who make annual visits to approved contractors to assess their technical capability and inspect samples of their work.

All apprentices are entitled to join a trade union. The recognised trade union in the craft sector of the building services engineering sector is Amicus. Formerly the Amalgamated Engineering & Electrical Union (AEEU), Amicus is the UK's largest engineering union with approximately 730,000 members in the private and public sectors.

When you begin your training with JTL, you may well be visited by a union representative. This person will discuss with you the benefits of union membership and, while it is not compulsory to do so, you may well choose to become a member of the union.

Formed in 1968, the Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry (JIB for short) came into existence as the result of an agreement between the ECA and the union.

Effectively the industrial relations arm of the industry, the main responsibility of the JIB is to agree national working conditions and wage rates.

As a JTL Advanced Apprentice, you will be registered with the JIB and, provided that you are employed by a JIB member company, you will be covered by all of their working conditions.

Formed in 1972, the Joint Industry Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services (JIB for short) came into existence as the result of an agreement between the plumbing employers (represented by the APHC) and the union (represented by Amicus, formerly the EETPU).

Effectively the industrial relations arm of the industry, the main responsibility of the JIB is to agree national working conditions and wage rates.

The APHC is the major trade association working within the plumbing industry. Trade associations provide a number of services to their members including technical support, legal advice, representation to Government on industry related matters, regular updates on the latest industry developments through their own magazines, raising the profile of the membership to potential customers and many others. Their membership is made up of businesses ranging from sole traders to larger organisations with strict membership selection criteria to ensure a high standard of membership.

The Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) represents the interests of firms active in the design, installation and maintenance of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Its membership comprises some 1,350 companies with 2,000 offices throughout the UK, a combined turnover of £4bn and a workforce of 50,000.

HVCA members are subject to regular, third-party inspection and assessment to ensure their technical competence and commercial capability.

The Council of Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) is the national watchdog for gas safety in the UK.CORGI maintains an up-to-date register of competent and qualified gas installation businesses and ensures that they and their employees are aware of the requirement to register. CORGI also raises the awareness of gas safety with consumers and encourages them to only employ registered gas installers.

The EEF represents the interests of engineering, manufacturing and technology based industries to the Government, the European Union and the public at large. It has around 6,000 member companies through its network of 13 regional associations across the UK. The EEF also provides specialist advise in the following areas: employment law, employee relations, health and safety, education and training.

SEMTA is the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies. The organisation represents the interests of engineering employers to the Government to ensure that the skill and training interests of the engineering sector are met. To achieve this, SEMTA also works in partnership with employers in the areas such as research and development, developing national training models, including apprenticeships, and monitoring occupational standards to promote careers in engineering across the UK.

SummitSkills is the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector. The organisation represents the interests of engineering employers and aims to ddress five key objectives:

• Alleviate skills gaps
• Improve productivity
• Provide career progression
• Develop a competent workforce
• Champion the sector's skills agenda

To achieve this, SummitSkills works in partnership with employers in the areas such as research and development, developing national training models, including apprenticeships, and monitoring occupational standards to promote careers in engineering across the UK.