There is a continuing skills gap within the building engineering sector, according to the latest quarterly Building Engineering Business Survey conducted by the ECA in collaboration with BESA, SELECT, and SNIPEF.
The survey, which included responses from 125 businesses, highlighted that nearly half (46%) are actively seeking to fill roles yet struggle to find candidates with the necessary qualifications.
Key findings indicate that high salary expectations and a lack of essential skills are significant barriers, with 47% of respondents pointing to candidate pay expectations as too high, while 46% noted a consistent deficiency in the knowledge or skills required for the job.
The survey included candid feedback from industry insiders. One respondent expressed concern over the academic demands placed on potential apprentices, stating, “Potential electrical apprentices are encouraged to stay on at school. Youngsters coming into the industry struggle to cope with the academics of the electrical courses, and consequently leave.”
Another highlighted a discrepancy between perceived and actual skills, commenting, “One of the biggest problems is that applicants are not as skilled as they think they are. In some cases, they are nowhere near where they should be.”
In response to these challenges, the ECA has endorsed recent statements by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP, who has been advocating for more young people to pursue apprenticeships instead of traditional university pathways. Andrew Eldred, Chief Operating Officer at ECA, remarked, “ECA welcomes the Education Secretary’s ambition to see more young people qualify as electricians.”
He further emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to tackle this issue, “For her statements to have any sort of impact, her government must work closely with industry leaders, educators, and business owners – to listen to electricians themselves about what to do to make this happen.”
ECA also recently introduced the Electrical Skills Index, which maps the shortage of electricians across England, underscoring the regional disparities in apprentice starts, particularly in areas now represented by Labour MPs.
Eldred stressed the importance of addressing these shortages to achieve some of the lofty promises of the new Labour Government. He concluded, “Key Labour Government missions such as new housing and net zero will not succeed without taking steps to address these shortfalls at both national and local levels.”