The Electrician Shortage: A National Call to Action

Electrification is central to the UK’s net zero efforts. But one critical question looms: how do we get enough electricians to power the future?

We talk to plenty of people here on The Green Edge that tell us we’re going to need tonnes more properly-qualified electrical folk to meet Britain’s ambitions to electrify its future. But even the most perfunctory dip in to how this skilling up might be achieved quickly reveals deep complexities in the UK's electrical skills pipeline. To that end, The Green Edge was delighted to jump on to a Zoom call recently with Andrew Eldred, Chief Operating Officer, and Jane Dawson, Head of External Affairs at the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), to explore the issue further. After talking to Andrew and Jane, it seems clear to us that urgent action is needed.

A Workforce Under Pressure

The UK currently has approximately 170,000 qualified and practising electricians, supported by about 23,000 apprentices. However, the industry requires at least 12,000 new apprentices every year to meet growing demands. Complicating matters further, there are around 40,000 individuals working as electricians or electrical fitters who lack the appropriate qualifications – a figure that underscores how critical training and certification have become.

The ECA Electrical Skills Index (England only). Image: ECA.

A key tool for understanding this workforce shortage is the Electrical Skills Index developed by the ECA. This index grew out the ECA’s work with local partners developing the LSIPs and tracks the number of people in England starting classroom-based electrical courses compared to apprenticeships, shining a light on regional disparities. Based on these data, the ECA produced a constituency-level map, highlighting about 100 areas with critically low numbers of electrical apprentice starts, while only 24 constituencies demonstrate high apprentice engagement.

The findings from the Electrical Skills Index paint a stark picture: England faces a significant imbalance in its electrical skills development. In London, for instance, eight times more students enroll in classroom-based courses than apprenticeships, raising alarm bells at the ECA. Why does this matter? Classroom-based courses have a startlingly low transfer rate to apprenticeships, hovering around just 10%.

This is not just a UK problem. Across Europe, the electrical sector is facing similar shortages. Even though 1.8 million people are employed in the European electrical contractor industry, shortages persist. In Germany, for example, there are currently 96,000 vacancies within electrical contracting firms, and in France, an estimated 200,000 electrical positions will need to be filled by 2030. The message is clear: this shortage is Europe-wide, not just a UK issue.

The Apprenticeship Shortfall and Policy Blind Spots

As noted by Andrew Eldred during our Zoom call, the shortage of apprenticeships is particularly acute in urban areas, while rural constituencies face a mismatch between resources and actual workforce needs. This uneven distribution of talent raises questions about the effectiveness of public funding and resource allocation.

The ECA's call to action is clear: they are urging policymakers to shift funds from classroom-based courses to hands-on apprenticeships, ensuring the development of fully qualified electricians ready to meet the evolving demands of the industry. At present, the electrical sector is hindered by fragmented policy approaches, and there is a critical need for more flexibility in the use of the Apprenticeship Levy and the Adult Education Budget.

In line with this, the new Skills England initiative offers hope by providing much-needed coordination across the national skills system. The ECA is optimistic that Skills England can break down the silos hindering progress, particularly as it aligns national skills priorities with the UK's emerging industrial strategy. One of the first actions of Skills England is the expected shift in the use of the Apprenticeship Levy in a more flexible way. However, progress is being seen at the local level as well, with Mayoral and Combined Authorities such as those in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands spearheading regional skills programmes tailored to local needs.

Green Jobs vs. Core Trade Skills: Misconceptions Persist

One of the most important discussions during our call with the ECA revolved around the concept of ‘green jobs’. While green energy often dominates conversations about the future workforce, the ECA emphasises that core trade skills – particularly those of electricians – are essential to achieving net-zero goals. As Andrew puts it, "Electricians aren’t green jobs, but they are the jobs that will build and maintain the infrastructure of the future."

Despite this reality, training initiatives that focus exclusively on so-called ‘green skills’ like installing solar panels or EV charging points often overlook the critical need for comprehensive electrical training. These short courses fail to address the underlying skills gap that continues to plague the industry.

A Political Imperative

The shortage of electricians is not just a technical issue; it’s a political one. Jane highlighted the need for engagement with MPs, particularly in constituencies with the lowest apprentice starts. Many MPs are only now starting to grasp the severity of the issue, but awareness is growing. The ECA has already been in touch with MPs in the 100 most affected constituencies, and future roundtables and media campaigns aim to put the crisis firmly on Parliament's radar.

Further complicating matters is the government’s ambitious house-building targets, which, as Andrew pointed out, are unlikely to be met without a significant increase in the number of qualified electricians. For too long, large Tier 1 contractors have outsourced workforce development to subcontractors, leading to a progressively smaller talent pool. With the rise of retrofitting projects and net-zero building standards, the need for skilled electricians is only going to increase.

The Path Forward

There is light at the end of the tunnel, but only if the right steps are taken. The ECA sees tremendous potential in fostering stronger partnerships between industry, local authorities, and training providers, and they are calling for a renewed focus on measuring the outcomes of electrical courses. Better data collection and analysis are needed to ensure that training leads to meaningful career outcomes and that public funding is spent effectively.

The challenges are clear, but so are the opportunities. With strategic investments in training, apprenticeships, and policy reform, the UK can ensure that its electrical workforce is not only sufficient to meet today’s demands but is also future-proofed for the decades to come. After all, the future is only bright if we have the electricians to power it.

The ECA's data-driven approach and calls for reform are vital to addressing the current shortage of skilled electricians in the UK. Only by aligning national policy, regional initiatives, and on-the-ground training, can we begin to close the skills gap and build the workforce necessary to achieve our electrification and net-zero goals.