New analysis from the Electrical Contractors’ Association shows the electrical skills gap is growing in Greater London, with a 5% drop in electrical apprenticeship starts, putting government ambitions and economic growth at risk.
10th February – The electrical skills gap in in Greater London is widening, at the very moment demand for skilled electricians is accelerating, according to new analysis published by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), putting Government ambitions and targets at risk.
ECA’s 2026 Electrical Skills Index – which compares the number of people starting government-funded classroom-based electrical courses with those entering apprenticeships – shows that while interest in electrical careers remains strong, the system is failing to convert that interest into qualified electricians.
In Greater London, 4846 learners enrolled in classroom-based electrical courses in 2024/25, compared with 568 electrical apprenticeship starts over the same period, highlighting a persistent gap between training provision and access to work-based routes into the industry.
The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) is calling on the Government to work with industry to tackle the growing national shortage of qualified electricians. ECA’s newly published ‘Electrical Skills Index’ – a dataset analysing how many people in England are starting classroom-based courses compared to apprenticeships – reveals a deepening structural imbalance across the skills system.
Key findings from the ECA 2026 Electrical Skills Index:
Over the past year electrical apprenticeship starts have fallen by 5% in Greater London even as nationwide apprenticeship starts overall rose by 4.1% and the electrification transition gathers pace.
Nationwide more than 26,000 learners enrolled in government-funded, classroom-based electrical courses in 2024/25 — up significantly from previous years — yet available outcomes data continues to indicate that fewer than 1 in 5 progressed into an electrical apprenticeship or skilled employment within 12 months.
Skills England estimates the UK will need an additional 12,000 electricians by 2030, yet data shows work-based routes into the industry are shrinking. With around 90% of learners still unable to secure a foothold in the profession, Government ambitions on growth, employment and net zero are increasingly at risk.
In East London ECA are bringing together local decision makers, education providers, and employers to reverse this trend to map training to workforce needs.
Luke Cook, ECA Skills Deputy Chair commented: “The electrical skills gap is no longer a future risk, it is a live and growing threat to the delivery of electrification. Demand for electricians is surging, but the number of people entering the industry through apprenticeships is going backwards.”
Andrew Eldred, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at ECA says: “In ECA’s 125-year history, we have never seen a gap so wide between ambition and workforce reality. We are training more people but producing fewer qualified electricians, at the exact moment the country needs them most.
Without urgent, targeted support for the SMEs that train and employ the workforce, Clean Power 2030 and economic growth will simply not be deliverable. Employers cannot fix this alone. If the system does not change, the skills gap will continue to widen and delivery will fall further behind.”
The Index shows that while training provision and learner interest are strong, the system is increasingly failing at the point of employment. SMEs across Greater London which train and employ the majority of new entrants, are finding it harder to take on apprentices due to rising costs and risk. Without addressing this, the skills system will continue to struggle to convert training into qualified electricians.
Mark Lawrence, CEO of TClarke and Industry representative on the Construction Skills Mission Board commented: “I welcome the early promise shown by Government in tackling the long-standing skills shortages in the electrical industry. But, it must now turn that promise into real action to stem the widening electrical skills gap we’re seeing in Greater London. It will only succeed if it tackles the real pressures facing employers.
Apprenticeships are shrinking because the costs and risks of sit almost entirely with businesses. If Government wants results, it should introduce meaningful tax incentives to support employers who are investing in apprentices and delivering the skilled workforce the country urgently needs.”
ECA is calling for a focused, employer-led approach to fixing the electrical skills system. Without this shift, rising participation in training will continue to fail at the point of employment, leaving too many learners unable to access apprenticeships or progress into qualified work
To fix the growing electrical skills crisis, ECA recommends:
Rebalance funding towards employment outcomes
Put employers at the centre of the system
Reduce costs to SMEs
Strengthen support for apprenticeship delivery
Align national and regional policymaking
