Attract talent. Retain experience. Prove both matter.

Why the industry needs both generations at once

Two electricians work side by side on the same site: one with 20 years in the trade, quietly wondering how much longer their body will cope with the physical demands of the job, and a younger, recently qualified electrician a couple of years in, already thinking about the next step in their career. Ask them what they want from an employer, and they'll probably give very different answers. Fundamentally, though, they both want to know they matter. That's easier said than done when your workforce spans very different stages of a career. Yet the business needs both of them to stay.

The pipeline into the trade is under pressure. Electrical apprenticeship starts fell 5.5% in the past year, and fewer than 1 in 5 learners on classroom-based electrical courses go on to an apprenticeship or skilled employment [1]. At the same time, the industry needs 206,000 additional workers by 2030[2]. The route into the trade is narrowing just as demand for skilled electricians continues to grow.

Years of experience are becoming harder to replace. An experienced electrician who leaves takes more than another pair of hands. They take years of judgement and hard-won practical know-how: the kind of experience that can read a fault before it becomes a call-out. That knowledge takes years to build, and it takes just as long to rebuild once it's gone.

With the pipeline under pressure and experience increasingly difficult to replace, the businesses that succeed over the long term are likely to be those that can attract new talent while holding on to the experience they've worked so hard to build. Both need to feel they matter.

How one benefit can become a signal of commitment

Employees notice the decisions employers make, and what they're prepared to put into their people, far more than any mission statement, poster or annual thank-you.

Private Medical Insurance (PMI) is one example of that.

It provides access to healthcare, but it can also say something about the employer offering it. Choosing to put employee wellbeing first sends a visible message that people are important to the business.

This kind of visible commitment can help employees feel that they matter. Benefits such as PMI are one practical way employers can show that.

For many electrical contractors, the question isn't whether supporting people matters. It's how to do it practically and affordably while running a busy business. Just 17% of SMEs offer PMI, compared with 68% of large employers [3]. Most are lagging behind. In a market already struggling to attract apprentices and keep experienced hands, that gap matters. Closing it is also one of the more visible ways an SME can compete for people it might otherwise lose to a larger employer.

That's where the ECIS PMI scheme fits. It provides electrical contractors with access to a recognised employee benefit, supported by a team with experience of working with businesses in the electrical contracting sector.

Why it matters across generations

It's easy to assume that PMI will matter more to the experienced electrician than the younger, recently qualified electrician. After all, years spent on the tools tend to bring more aches, pains and health concerns.

But that doesn't mean younger employees value it any less. The same benefit solves different problems for different generations.

For the experienced electrician, the barrier is often time. Booking a GP appointment, waiting for a referral and putting up with a shoulder that's "not quite bad enough yet" can mean small problems become bigger ones. Access to specialist support without first needing a GP referral can remove much of that friction, making it easier to seek help sooner.

The younger, recently qualified electrician faces a different barrier entirely. Many are used to services being available when and where they need them. The ability to arrange a video or telephone consultation through the My Bupa app, often outside normal working hours, fits with that expectation. If they need a prescription or referral, the same consultation can cover it.

Each generation values this benefit for a different reason. The experienced electrician gets faster access to care. The younger electrician gets access on their own terms. Either way, this is an employer that's prepared to back its people.

Turning intent into action

Most electrical contractors want to attract good people and keep experienced ones.

Showing employees they matter doesn't depend on a single initiative, but it does depend on standing behind them. PMI is one practical way of doing that.

Contractors who want to offer that kind of benefit can do so through the ECIS PMI scheme.

Is your business new to this, or already offering something similar? It's worth having a conversation with ECIS about whether your employee benefits reflect the message you want to send to your workforce.

Find out more about the ECIS PMI scheme at ECIS, email ecis@ecins.co.uk or call 0330 221 0241.

References

[1] ECA, Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand (2026): https://www.eca.co.uk/news/2026/feb/electrical-skills-gap-deepens-as-apprenticeship-starts-fall-despite-surging-demand

[2] CITB, Construction Workforce Outlook (Jun 2026): https://www.citb.co.uk/cwo/index.html

[3] CIPD, Reward Survey Report 2026 (Feb 2026): https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2026-pdfs/9075-reward-survey-report-web-new.pdf