Landmark report sets out action to address key skills gaps

Skills England published its Annual Skills Report on 1 June, marking its first anniversary with a comprehensive assessment of current and future skills needs. The Alan Milburn interim report into young people and work, published last week, found that nearly one million 16 to 24-year-olds are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), underlining the need […]

Read full article

Welsh Government retrofit report confirms Wales faces major electrical skills shortage, warns ECA

With a Senedd election approaching, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) is urging all parties to back a long-term plan to train the electricians needed to deliver home retrofit, and wider electrification, safely and at pace. The newly released Welsh Government-commissioned report Assessing workforce requirements for home retrofitting in Wales warns that Wales does not currently have the […]

Read full article

North East alliance seeks to drive positive change in regional electrical skills

An alliance of electrical businesses, training providers and the local authority within the North East of England met for the first time this week to address electrical skills challenges facing the region.  This collaboration marks the launch of an Electrotechnical Training and Careers Alliance (ETCA), which is an initiative led by ECA. An ETCA aims to bring […]

Read full article

Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand

The UK’s electrical skills gap is widening across the country, at the very moment demand for skilled electricians is accelerating, according to new analysis published by the 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 – […]

Read full article

JIB responds to CSJ Skills to Build report with call to prioritise direct employment and competence

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) report, Skills to Build: Fixing Britain’s construction workforce crisis, was published in November 2025, setting out 26 recommendations – across government departments, education and industry.  The central message, that construction cannot meet housing and infrastructure demand without rebuilding a domestic skills pipeline, has been a long-held concern of the Joint Industry […]

Read full article