Day January 29, 2026

You've seen the ads. They promise fast-track routes to electrical careers, complete with photos of people in hi-vis holding certificates. Some quote impressive salary figures. Most use words like "qualified" and "professional" liberally. Here's what they don't usually clarify: completing a 16-week course gives you knowledge qualifications (City & Guilds 2365 diplomas). 

The UK electrical industry needs to recruit approximately 100,000 people over the next decade just to prevent the workforce from shrinking. That's not 100,000 brand-new jobs appearing. It's not 100,000 immediate vacancies waiting to be filled today. It's a recruitment target to address an ageing workforce, modest industry growth, and the shift toward green technology installations.

Remember 2018? The panic about the 18th Edition? The wholesalers scrambling to stock AFDDs? The forums full of electricians asking if their 17th Edition certificates were suddenly worthless?. Fast forward to January 2026. We're eight years into the 18th Edition. It's not "new" anymore. It's not even particularly noteworthy. It's just... BS 7671. The way electrical work gets done in the UK.