Board Chair of Energy Commission Concerned About Low Participation of Females in Electrical Wiring
The Board Chair of the Energy Commission, Prof. John Gatsi, has reiterated the Commission’s commitment to strengthening regulatory oversight in the electrical wiring profession to ensure safety, professionalism, and public trust.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony organized by the Commission in Accra, Prof. Gatsi underscored the importance of the certification programme in building skilled manpower for the electrical wiring of industrial, commercial, and domestic facilities.
“We place a high premium on the ceremony because it is one of the objective ways to ensure professionally skilled men and women are involved in the electrical wiring of facilities,” he said, adding that the exercise is in line with the Commission’s mandate under the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2008).
Prof. Gatsi disclosed that the Commission will intensify its regulatory efforts, including activating a sanctions regime, to enhance the environment within which certified professionals operate. He further revealed that the Board had directed management to review the certification curriculum to incorporate customer service, which he described as a “key part of the profession that receives less attention.”
Highlighting gender imbalances in the sector, the Board Chair noted that only 233 women had been certified as electrical wiring professionals in the past 12 years, representing just 1.3 percent of over 18,000 certified practitioners. “We encourage more women to go through the certification process,” he said.
Out of the total number certified, 11,040 specialize in domestic facilities, 5,788 in commercial facilities, and 827 in industrial facilities. The Commission has also certified fewer than 700 inspectors over the same period, a situation Prof. Gatsi said requires urgent attention to improve safety and credibility within the industry.
To further raise professional standards, the Energy Commission will ensure that certified practitioners take their annual Continuous Professional Development (CPD) updates seriously before license renewals are granted. The Commission also intends to intensify inspections at ports of entry to prevent the inflow of substandard electrical materials.
Prof. Gatsi urged the new graduates to serve as ambassadors of professionalism in the industry and encouraged the public to engage only certified practitioners. He added that graduates must also uphold ethical standards by reporting substandard materials that make their way into the marketplace.
“Regulatory sensitivity and reforms are needed to deliver professional electrical wiring and protect property and business assets. We will therefore strengthen regulatory collaboration and improve our public education,” he said.
