This month Margaret Mullane MP for Dagenham and Rainham was contacted by Electrical Contractors’ Association regarding the 2026 Electrical Skills Index.
The findings in the ECA’s report highlighted the electrical skills gap in Dagenham and Rainham has worsened by 96% since 2022/23. The report outlined that in the year 2025, 110 local students enrolled in electrical courses, yet only 16 were able to secure an apprenticeship. This means that for every 7 students training in a classroom, only one is getting the hands-on, work-based opportunity they need to actually become a qualified electrician.
Margaret said: “This is extremely disappointing but mirrors a situation we see playing out across the country. More emphasis must be put on skilled work, training and apprenticeships that lead to good quality jobs. As a society we are becoming evermore reliant on electricity in our homes, and we need to ensure that we have the workforce to upgrade and maintain both local and national infrastructure.”
Apprenticeships remain the primary route into becoming a qualified electrician. The ECA argue that closing the gap between the classroom and the workplace is a vital step which would support “the growth of the workforce needed to deliver the electrification of the economy – from grid upgrades and EV charger installation to heat pumps and retrofit.”
Margaret added: “New City College in Rainham are doing fantastic work offering vocational and technical training centred on construction, but more needs to be done across further education to ensure the next generation are fully equipped to work in a ‘green economy’. That is why I support the ECA’s work to highlight and close the electrical skills gap in Dagenham and Rainham.”
You can find out more about the work of the ECA and read their full report here: Skills for the Future