Congratulations to our Maintenance Manager Ian Banham, who has passed a milestone qualification for electrical engineers.
Ian, who heads up our five-strong maintenance team, has acquired his 18th Edition of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Wiring Regulations.
Commonly referred to as the 18th Edition, and based on a book called 'Requirements for Electrical Installations', the regulations set the British standard for the installation of electrical wiring. The qualification is considered to be essential for all professionals working in electrical engineering.
Ian, from Rochdale, completed an online course that culminated in two exams - a mock and the real thing - to acquire the qualification.
He says: "You get a year to do it in your own time. The content can be done in 20 to 30 hours, but it's all about being able to navigate the book correctly because there over 500 pages.
"Once you've gone through all the content, you had to gain a pass rate of at least 80 per cent in the mock exam before you could take the real test. It's all about the guidelines and processes that all electrical work must meet to comply with legal requirements."
Ian's qualification marks the latest stage in his development with us, having started as an apprentice in 2016, when he arrived with his Level 3 City & Guilds in mechanical engineering from Hopwood Hall in Middleton - a qualification he took of his own initiative while looking for work in what was then a depressed jobs market.
He then went on to complete his Level 4 HNC in Electrical Engineering before this latest achievement, which provides inspiration for two of his team - maintenance engineer Alex Knight, from Royton in Oldham, who is also a former apprentice, and current apprentice Josh Burke, who has just embarked on his maintenance engineering City and Guilds.
Dan Mounsey, our Marketing and Business Development Director, says: "Well done to Ian. We are always keen to develop our staff to the best standards possible. Seeing what Ian has achieved is a great example to our other apprentices of what's possible."
Ian has recently taken over his new role from Colin Taylor, who is stepping down after moving to part time hours.