Industry Activity Is Just Another Way to Give Back for Precision Electric
As a first generation electrician, Scott Huckins, owner of Precision Electric, was encouraged to enter into the trades through school and regional competitions like the regional Halton Skills Competition.
“I took third in it 25 years ago,” Huckins recalls. “Nobody typically ends up on the path that they started on. I’m weird in that way because I’ve wanted to be an electrician since I was 18.”
Besides a brief hiatus in the design and program end of things, the Milton, ON area man has done just that, and has shared his experiences along the way.
This season he sat as a judge in the 2015 Halton Skills Competition. Huckins has shown through his experience and efforts that every electrician can make a lasting difference in the life of those coming into the industry.
“We try to help out where we can,” he said.
In addition to volunteering to judge the Halton Skills Competition, Huckins has also been involved in a school board initiative (Men As Career Coaches) that pairs professionals with senior students for a day of mentoring and career guidance.
“I’ve done it every year since its inception,” Huckins said.
Behind this considerable volunteer effort is a desire to see his industry grow, particularly in the face of growing demand and signs of a shrinking pool of tradespeople. Precision Electric is currently working on a six-to-eight week waiting list for their clients who willingly accept this lag time for quality service. While quality work is one of the things Precision Electric has built its name on since opening in 1994, Huckins knows his waiting list is not unusual in his field and points to one reason for this: “I think there’s a lack of skilled trades right now. Everything in the world runs on electricity, and we need more electricians.”
His desire to see positive change in the electricians’ field has led the Milton professional to the Ontario Electrical League (OEL), where he has worked with the Contract Committee alongside some incredible talent.
“It’s an impressive team environment. I’ve always been interested, but in the last year I’ve had more time and been able to volunteer on the committee,” Huckins said.
He’s really enjoyed sitting at the table and providing input to representatives of the Electrical Safety Association and College of Trades, some of which have been accepted and reflected in industry initiatives. Interestingly, it was an inspector who initially approached Huckins and encouraged him to consider active membership in the OEL. Huckins said this chance conversation has brought about many benefits to his business from information sharing to relationship building.
“I’m happy he did. It’s helped develop my relationship with the inspectors, which is huge,” Huckins said.
Precision Electric services residential and commercial clients, and has been installing energy saving products, such as LED lights, for eight years. They have become a trusted professional resource for any job no matter how big or small. Next Year, Huckins hopes to add another professional to his crew so he can better serve his customers.
For more information on Precision Electric, please go to www.precisionelectric.ca or call 416-564-9766 to speak to Scott.
Stacey Roy is Editor of OEL Dialogue. This article was first published by the Ontario Electrical League in the June 2015 issue of OEL Dialogue; http://www.oel.org.
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