New report highlights electrotechnical skills demographics

October 3, 2023 Editor

Key insights from a survey report commissioned jointly by the Joint Industry Board (JIB) and Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), and published by the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), has revealed differences in requirements and opportunities for the UK’s electrotechnical sector at a regional level.

With a total workforce of around 276,000, best case scenario calculations estimate around 33,000 additional skilled workers are needed by 2027. Of those employers questioned, 54% and 49% respectively expect demand for qualified electricians and apprentices to increase over the next two to three years to meet the positive growth.

The Labour Market Intelligence report outlines trends in the sector over the past few years, providing a rich insight into the state of the electrotechnical sector in terms of its workforce size, demography, and skills needs and key opportunities.

Some of the key trends reflected in the report include:

Greater London: Higher proportion of 25-49 year olds in the workforce (66%) than UK average (50%), and greater emphasis on ageing workforce as barrier to take-up of new technologies (28%, cf. 20%)
Southwest England: Greater importance attached to new technologies as a factor driving workforce changes (22%) than UK average (9%)
Northwest England: Higher proportion of 16-24 year olds in the workforce (28%) than UK average (20%)
Yorkshire and Humberside: Higher proportion of 16-24 year olds in the workforce (23%) than UK average (20%), and higher levels of satisfaction with skills of job applicants (69%, cf. 58%) and availability of suitable training locally (84%, cf. 69%)
East of England: Lower proportion of 16-24 year olds in the workforce (14%) than UK average (20%), and higher proportion of 50-64 year olds (37%, cf. 26%).

The electrotechnical sector continues to lead the charge of a rapid evolution in how we use technology, with increased demand for digital communication, energy conservation, electric vehicle charging and renewable energy solutions with a particular focus on the electrification of heat, such as heat pumps, in buildings.

One of the underlying drivers for most of this development is net zero and the targets for the UK to be carbon-neutral by 2050 mentioned above. The JIB acknowledges that the challenges and concerns in the sector in responding to demand will vary region by region, and is committed to tackling each issue by highlighting its own regional structures and plans to strengthen engagement with skills issues at a regional level.

An infographic showing the report highlights can be viewed here.