NICEIC has partnered with the Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) to launch The Tools to Talk, a dedicated mental health and wellbeing support toolkit to support NICEIC certified businesses and their teams.
The Tools to Talk includes ongoing digital support through a quarterly e-newsletter, interactive mental health focused episodes of The Wire webinar series, resources to help teams start conversations and signposting to professional support services.
NICEIC has also donated £10,000 to help the EIC continue to provide support across the electrical sector including counselling, wellbeing resources, financial assistance, employment support and family support. The donation reflects NICEIC’s ongoing commitment to the vital work that the EIC does in improving mental health outcomes for those working in the sector and ensuring that support is available when it’s needed.
Research from YouGov shows 62% of tradespeople think that, as a society, mental health and mental health challenges are discussed too little, making them 29% more likely to feel this way more than the general population. The Tools to Talk is designed to help electricians express themselves on matters relating to mental health and start positive conversations with colleagues. It also provides practical advice and experience they can use to improve the mental health of their colleagues.
Commenting on the partnership, Danny Mouskovias, Learning and Wellbeing Manager at NICEIC, said:
“Tradespeople play a crucial role in building and maintaining our society. Their work is safety critical, often involves long hours and comes with a lot of pressure – yet stigma around mental health persists. Too often, issues go undiscussed until someone reaches crisis point.”
Jess Valima, the EIC’s Managing Director, added:
“We see the impact of mental health issues in the sector every day, which is why we’re proud to partner with NICEIC on The Tools to Talk. It’s vital that people recognise the signs early and know where to turn for help.”
Danny concluded: ‘We must support our colleagues in taking the first step – having that conversation. The Tools to Talk provides the guidance and confidence teams need to support themselves and each other with compassion. Together with the EIC, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the support they need.’
If you need support or advice, reach out to the EIC via [email protected], the online form or call 0800 652 1618. For more information or to access the digital content available from The Tools to Talk visit niceic.com/for-the-trades-1/the-tools-to-talk
Contributors
Rob Shepherd (author)
Rob is Consulting Editor for InstallerELECTRIC. He is a well-respected journalist with a strong history in the electrical sector.
