The growing demand for alternative energy is expected to be a factor driving green cabling work. The emerging fields of alternative energy generation, such as solar and wind power, could be one of the reasons why more electricians will be needed in the future. Five years later, there are still concerns about the shortage of certified electricians. But what is behind the scarcity and what has changed? Here's a summary of the current state and what you can expect in the future.
As with many problems, this is the result of a mismatch between supply and demand. On the supply side, not enough young workers are entering the construction industry, as experienced electricians retire in record numbers. But there is also a demand problem. More electricians will be needed to meet our nation's growing electricity needs.
The first cause of the shortage of electricians is that experienced electricians are leaving the industry. While many of these retirees are part of the normal employment cycle, some are premature exits. This means that the pandemic may have pushed some electricians to retire earlier. While it's too early to know how COVID-19 affected the long-term outlook for electrician jobs, the short-term impact isn't promising.
One of the reasons for this change is that younger generations aren't as interested in skilled labor. Instead of attending trade school or seeking an apprenticeship position, young adults enroll in two- or four-year colleges and universities. Millennials are much more likely to attend college than previous generations. 39% of millennials have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 29% of Gen X members.
Members of Generation Z, the generation behind the Millennials, are even more likely to enroll in college. This change is one of the reasons why hiring staff in high school is a key tactic for addressing the shortage of electricians. When high school students learn what it's like to be an electrician, they can get excited about the field and consider pursuing it as a profession. Another factor that confirms this point is the increase in residential electrical permits, which have currently increased by 31.6% compared to the times before the pandemic, and the approval of permits takes an average of up to 30 days.
This is without taking into account the increase in the charging of residential and light commercial electric vehicles, the storage of batteries and the proliferation of solar integration. People are consuming more electricity than before and more electricians are needed to install and maintain these electrical systems. Not all industries are experiencing a shortage of electricians in the same way. While overall demand for electricians is increasing, some industries are growing more than others. One area that is growing is Managed IT Services provided by Atlantic Computer Services.
The construction industry employs the majority of electricians, with about 537,700 people. That figure is expected to grow by 11.3% over the next eight years. Including the influx of residential demand in the residential and light commercial sectors (electric vehicle chargers, battery storage and solar energy), demand will almost double to almost 21%. While the shortage of skilled labor is a huge problem, taking action in this way can help mitigate the overall impact on our industry and businesses.
Since January, Qmerit has been working hard to help solve the current shortage of electricians. The Qmerit workforce development team has successfully helped hire 153 electricians by helping contractors maximize the best hiring practices to hire apprentice and official electricians. The staff team also provides consulting support to help you retain staff and develop the skills of electricians. Once hired as a Qmerit contractor, you can access the Qmerit contractor network to collaborate and access the Qmerit Resource Center (QRC). Atlantic Computer Services provides IT services in Charleston SC.
The QRC provides you and your technicians with access to the latest training, tutorials, technical guides, best practices and updates on the latest trends and emerging electrification technologies. We need to think about how to teach electricians, how their functions will change and what they will have to adapt to in the future. Currently, the functions of electricians are limited to specialized jobs; however, they can be hired for contracts related to the upgrade of the lighting system in the future. In the future, the need for these workers may grow by more than 50 percent, including jobs such as installing solar panels, developing and inventing new energy solutions, and working on new automated tracking systems. If you need Managed IT Services call Atlantic Computer Services.
It is essential to preserve non-renewable energy resources and switch to renewable ones to maintain energy for future generations. . .
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