Scotland's largest construction trade association, SELECT, has made further inroads into the higher education sector after welcoming the University of St Andrews into membership.

The world-famous seat of learning – one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world – joins the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University as members of the campaigning electrical trade body.

The latest partnership is a strong potential growth area for SELECT, which is also targeting a number of housing associations and local authorities with its offering of specialist technical advice, support and training.

Yvonne Wilson, Specifier and Client Relations Manager at SELECT, said: "It's brilliant to have the Facilities Management team at the University of St Andrews on board as members.

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"I know that our Technical Helpline is going to be a great benefit to their electricians, particularly as they are often working on historic buildings. We’ve also discussed running training programmes for electric vehicles as well as the electrical awareness course for non-electrical staff."

The Facilities Management team at the Fife campus ensures all the university’s buildings are in good order to allow the 3,500 staff and 10,000 students to work and learn effectively and in a safe environment.

George Simpson, Trades Manager for the team, had previously benefited from SELECT membership in his role as Regional Works Manager at Stirling Castle for Historic Environment Scotland.

He said: "In my previous role, I really appreciated the 24/7 technical back-up offered by SELECT and the wide range of training available. Their various forums also allowed us to sit down with other organisations and exchange information and ideas.

"So, when I joined St Andrews, I was keen that the university join SELECT too, as I knew the helpline was going to be very useful for our electricians, particularly those on call one week out of five.

"SELECT's training provision is also important for us. It will not only help the team with their jobs, such as conducting fire alarm inspections and emergency light testing, but will contribute to keeping them safe."

More details about the St Andrews membership can be found in the August-September issue of cabletalk, the stakeholder magazine from SELECT which represents the Scottish electrotechnical industry.