Association timeline
For the past 125 years, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland has empowered electrical businesses and the electrical industry alike.
As the first trade body in the world to serve the electrical industry, it has been working hard on behalf of electrical contractors since its first meeting in Glasgow in 1900.
But how was it formed? How did it grow to become Scotland’s largest construction trade association? And how did it become the body which we know as SELECT today?
Below you will find some of the milestones in the association’s long and distinguished history – and some of the significant moments which shaped its destiny.
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1900 – in October, electrical contractor R D Cassells calls upon a few of his fellow leading contractors in Glasgow to suggest the formation of an association for those engaged in the electrical trade. Draft schemes of organisation are prepared.
1900 – on 15 November, 25 contractors meet in Glasgow and unanimously agree to form an association – the world’s first for the electrical industry and the first to serve the ‘modern’ trades.
1904 – the association amalgamates with its southern counterpart, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), which had been formed in 1901. The new UK-wide body is divided into six regions – London, Southern, Northern, Western, Scottish and Irish.
1905 – a meeting is held on 1 February, during which it is decided to form an Edinburgh Branch. The Dundee Branch follows two years later.
1911 – Members of the Scottish region deem it preferable to separate from the ECA and the association reforms to again become a standalone Scottish body, working “in friendly conjunction” with its southern counterpart. Operations are conducted from the offices of its solicitor in
Frederick Street, Edinburgh.
1912 – the association reaches 250 Member companies, each paying an annual subscription of two guineas, equivalent to £200 today.
1914 – the first annual golf match between the East and West of Scotland teams is held in June. Although the venue is not recorded, the West team is triumphant.
1917 – the association and ECA approach central government to suggest the introduction of registration of all electrical companies to ensure quality and safety standards. Although sympathetic received, the approaches are not acted upon, with the associations told that “winning the war is the government’s main concern”.
1919 – introduction of national wages bargaining with the electrical trade unions.
1920 – membership of the association rises from 172 to 217 and an organiser is employed full-time to recruit throughout Scotland. The Central Board of 1927 is pictured below.
1930 – membership rises to 283 firms and the association launches its first official magazine, Scottish Electrical Engineer.
1930s – wage negotiations result in Journeyman Electricians being granted 1/6 per hour, equivalent to £7 today. Recommended apprentice wage rates for Members are 2d per hour in the first year, rising to 6d per hour for fifth year learners.
1930s – the ever-present problem of small attendances at Branch meetings is recorded and several suggestions are proposed to try and encourage greater participation.
1939 – in May, another attempt at compulsory registration of electrical contractors is made, with the hope that it will be included in the Electricity Bill being debated in Parliament. Unfortunately the bill never becomes law due to “lack of parliamentary time”.
1939 – at the outbreak of World War II, membership stands at 326 firms, representing 60% of electrical contractors across Scotland.
1940 – the supply of skilled labour causes concern, with a large number of businesses closing down after their men join the services. The association agrees that all such cases will be put into a ‘Suspended Member’ file for the duration of hostilities.
1941 – The Ministry of Labour asks Members to take their holidays at harvest time to allow employees to assist farmers in the war effort.
1944 – the official apprenticeship scheme for the electrical contracting industry in Scotland is launched on 1 July, following a joint consultation exercise between the association and the Electrical Trades Union.
1946 – as the Branches become active again, it is agreed to give Ayrshire full autonomy from the Glasgow Branch due to its growing membership, with the inaugural meeting held in the King’s Arms in Irvine on 1 May.
1949 – as the association nears the end of the decade, it becomes apparent that it can no longer continue with a part-time secretariat and shared offices. The secretariat is born, consisting of a full-time General Secretary, a cashier, a bookkeeper/typist, a shorthand typist and an office junior, working from 63 Frederick Street, Edinburgh. Central Board are picture above at the opening.
1950 – half a century of service to the electrical industry is marked when Lord Lyon King of Arms awards an heraldic crest to the association. The crest bears the motto <<Weel bodin’ for weal>>, which translates as ‘Working for the common good’.
1950 – to mark its half century, office bearers, Members and industry guests attend the association’s grand Jubilee Dinner Whist and Dance at the Grosvenor Restaurant in Glasgow on 2 November, pictured below.
1951 – the Dumfries and Galloway Branch is formed as a sub-branch of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch. Full Branch status is conferred in 1957.
1959 – with membership rising to 487 companies, the association moves to larger premises in Edinburgh’s prestigious New Town after the purchase of a head office in Heriot Row. Central Board are picture below at the opening.
1969 – to help stabilise a period of relative unrest in the electrical industry, the association joins forces with Amicus – now Unite the Union – to create the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB).
1977 – a new modern image is sought to replace the 27-year-old heraldic crest and a diagonal ‘three-core cable’ device is introduced. Cable Talk magazine is launched to support this new identity, replacing the existing news bulletin.
1980 – Lanarkshire is granted full Branch status after being a sub-branch of Glasgow and West of Scotland for many years.
1980s – the association introduces its inspection service to ensure that the work of every Member is subject to regular scrutiny. Membership criteria are also strengthened.
1988 – a new contract completion guarantee scheme is launched, which provides cover for a client in the event of a contractor becoming insolvent.
1989 – the association moves from Heriot Row to Midlothian on 21 July after purchasing Bush House, an A-listed 18th century mansion set in parkland at the foot of the Pentland Hills.
1989 – Bush House is officially opened on 22 September by Sir John Clerk, HM Lord Lieutenant for Midlothian District.
1990 – with the electrical contracting industry no longer within the scope of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) is established in April to manage the training of apprentices. Based at Bush House, it has a team of 11 people working in partnership with the SJIB.
1993 – in response to Member feedback, the association launches a telephone legal advisory service, offering advice on private and commercial matters. Separate advice lines for tax queries and industrial tribunal representation are also offered.
1995 – the association sets up the Electrical Engineering Training Foundation (EETF) “to provide education or assistance with the provision of vocational, business and personal development training”.
1998 – the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland is rebranded as SELECT to reflect the changing work of its Members. At an official ceremony on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on 9 February, the new logo is unveiled by Nigel Griffiths, Minister for Consumer Affairs.
1999 – the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament on 12 May after an absence of almost 300 years offers new opportunities for the association, with SELECT immediately becoming actively engaged with Ministers, MSPs and civil servants on a range of issues.
2000 – the association is joined by manufacturers, distributors and guests as it holds its Centenary Dinner at the Edinburgh Sheraton Grand Hotel on 24 March. Guest of honour is Henry McLeish MP MSP.
2000 – SELECT instructs architects to develop an area of land behind Bush House for a new 20,000 sq ft headquarters.
2000 – the association rounds off a year of centenary celebrations with a Millennium Ball at Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel in October.
2001 – first steel is erected on the new Walled Garden development in March.
2002 – SELECT holds its first AGM in the association’s new HQ in June, including a Members’ lunch in the new dining room and a meeting of the Central Board in the Castlelaw Room, named after the Roman fortress which once lay nearby.
2002 – The Walled Garden is officially opened by HRH Princess Anne The Princess Royal on Thursday 3 October. After being welcomed by President Archie Jay and MD Michael Goodwin, pictured below, the Princess is given a guided tour of the new SELECT HQ and spends some time quizzing Technical Advisers Malcolm Duncan and Bob Cairney.
2003 – Inverness and North of Scotland becomes a Branch in its own right after having enough Member firms to separate from the Aberdeen and North East of Scotland Branch. The move means the association now has the eight Branches that still exist today.
2005 – SELECT is appointed as the first scheme provider for Certification of Construction (Electrical Installations to BS 7671) as the new Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA) comes into operation on 1 May. The move means SELECT Member firms can be appointed as Approved Bodies and have staff appointed as Approved Certifiers of Construction.
2005 – Member firm Milligan Electrical in Hurlford, Ayrshire, issues the first Certificate of Construction under the new SELECT scheme on 17 June. The certificate is issued for the installation of a ventilation fan in a domestic building.
2006 – the association holds the first-ever SELECT Electrotechnical Awards at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow on 1 November. Among the inaugural winners are Lotus Electrical for Best Small Company and RW Bell, who take the award for Best Training Initiative.
2007 – SELECT celebrates a significant landmark in March, when Livingston-based Everwarm Services becomes the association’s 1,000th Member.
2008 – SELECT launches Scottish Building Services Certification in association with NICEIC on 31 March. The move allows electrical contracting and building services firms to register as Approved Bodies, appoint Approved Certifiers and manage the certification process through a new online portal.
2010 – official opening of The Walled Garden South Building by Rhona Brankin MSP on Friday 19 March, pictured below. The new space is home to seven organisations, including SECTT, the Electrical Safety Council and Unite the Union.
2010 – to help keep pace with the rise in renewables, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather opens the Scottish Environmental Technologies Training Centre at The Walled Garden in July.
2012 – the association holds its 100th AGM at House for an Art Lover in Glasgow on 6 June. MSP John Park also issues a motion in the Scottish Parliament, congratulating SELECT on reaching the landmark.
2012 – SELECT launches a new TV advertising campaign in August, promoting professionalism and peace of mind and featuring animated character ‘Shug the Plug’, pictured below.
2012 – following requests from Members, the association launches its bespoke electronic certification service, SELECTcerts, in September.
2018 – SELECT joins BESA and SNIPEF to create a new joint body, BSE Skills Ltd, to manage and develop apprenticeships, qualifications and National Occupational Standards for the building services engineering sector.
2018 – more than 40 SELECT staff and Office Bearers attend the Scottish Parliament in October to hear a debate on the regulation of electricians, with a special billboard also displayed outside Holyrood to reinforce the message.
2019 – the association launches a new Wall of Support, where organisations and individuals can voice their backing for regulation of the electrical industry.
2019 – leading lights from across the electrical industry gather at Edinburgh Castle in November as the SJIB celebrates its half-century, pictured below.
2020 – as the industry is impacted by COVID-19, SELECT plays a key role in the creation of the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March, sharing advice and information to help keep Members safe and working.
2020 – SELECT embraces the digital age when it delivers its first-ever virtual classroom training course, Requirements for Electric Installations, on 22 April.
2022 – SELECT launches a new Associate Member scheme for manufacturers and service providers, with Aico, Luceco and Megger among some of the industry’s biggest names coming on board as founder members.
2022 – after new fire legislation comes into effect in February, Members volunteer to take part in our Alarm Ambassadors campaign, sponsored by Aico, which sees contractors fit free heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for vulnerable householders across Scotland.
2022 – SELECT plays a key role in the inaugural Green Home Festival in August, which delivers a week of advice on low-carbon living as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
2022 – the association is recognised for helping Members through the pandemic when it scoops the award for Best Membership Support Since COVID-19 at the prestigious Association Excellence Awards in London in October, pictured below.
2023 – after the success of its virtual classroom, SELECT introduces its first e-learning course in February, with self-study delegates completing the online Requirements for Electrical Installations course with no tutor.
2023 – new training courses in electrical energy storage systems and solar PV installation are launched in Aberdeen in March.
2023 – the association continues its commitment to renewables training with the launch of a new course in electric vehicle charge point installation in November.
2024 – after feedback from Members, the Training team launches the SQA Customised Award in Design, Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance of Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems, with a pilot course in Ayrshire in October.
2025 – the SELECT team celebrates its 125th anniversary with a year-long calendar of events for Members, Associates and industry colleagues.
