Building the skills and capability for the grid investment ahead
Pinder Kang
BY PINDER KANG
“The way I see it, the investment ahead of the UK’s electricity industry is a multi-decade programme.
We have ageing infrastructure that needs upgrading, alongside new demand from electrification and data centres.
Whatever changes in policy, the need for a secure, resilient grid remains”
The way I see it, the investment ahead of the UK’s electricity industry is a multi-decade programme. We have ageing infrastructure that needs upgrading, alongside new demand from electrification and data centres. Whatever changes in policy, the need for a secure, resilient grid remains. The question for those of us delivering that infrastructure is how we prepare for the volume and complexity of work coming down the line.
That is why OCU is supporting GRID-UK. It is an opportunity to bring clients and the supply chain together, understand how others are approaching the challenges and share what is working in practice. There is a great deal of opportunity in this market, but realising it requires investment in the people and capability needed to deliver.
“Understanding how clients develop their businesses and make investment decisions matters when you are supporting them”
My experience has given me a valuable perspective on the client side of the industry, across distributed energy, telecoms and contracting. Understanding how clients develop their businesses and make investment decisions matters when you are supporting them. At OCU, that means looking beyond the projects in front of us and thinking about where demand will come from next.
We see that demand across power transmission and distribution, energy transformation, water, environmental and digital infrastructure. These markets have different investment programmes, but they often need the same resources. Whether you are excavating for a water pipe or an electricity cable, or delivering civil engineering for a substation or treatment works, there is considerable overlap in the skills required. We understand that wider picture when planning for growth.
Grid connections reform is helping to bring greater clarity to the pipeline. Although the process has taken longer than the market initially anticipated, we are seeing projects come forward that have been scrutinised for their readiness to proceed. For contractors and developers, that gives a firmer basis on which to plan. The more visibility we have, the better placed we are to invest ahead of demand.
When we talk about skills shortages, the key issue is foresight. It is about looking around corners and ensuring that we are developing people now for the work we expect to deliver in the years ahead. Waiting until everyone needs the same resources will not give the industry the capacity it requires.
We are big advocates of apprenticeships, but they have to be done properly. Bringing people into a business is only the start. They need structured development and the opportunity to learn alongside experienced people who can pass on their experience and insights, as well as their technical knowledge. That takes planning and a commitment from the business to support them throughout their training.
OCU’s training network now includes seven Academies and a mobile training unit. During our 2026 financial year 14,535 training hours were delivered across OCU, supporting both new entrants and experienced people. For us, this investment is about building capability within the business and giving people a route to develop their careers over the long term.
There is also an opportunity to retrain people from adjacent sectors. As parts of the fibre rollout slow, for example, some of that workforce could develop the additional skills needed for low-voltage electricity work. The experience is there to build on, provided the right training and authorisations are in place. We should be thinking across sectors about how people can move into the work that is growing.
“Innovation is another important part of increasing our capacity to deliver”.
Innovation is another important part of increasing our capacity to deliver. We are exploring AI to support workforce deployment and improve efficiency, and some of those applications are showing encouraging results. But the physical work still needs skilled people. Technology has to help them do that work more effectively.
A good example is our investment in pipe-pushing equipment, originally acquired for the Vyrnwy Aqueduct project for United Utilities. Our horizontal directional drilling team recognised that the same equipment could help reduce risk on the Orkney cable landfall works. By adapting the approach, they were able to complete the work from the shore, reducing reliance on offshore operations and exposure to tidal conditions.
That is a significant change in how a project is delivered, and it also shows why sharing knowledge across a business matters. Equipment acquired for a water project helped solve a challenge in electricity infrastructure because people recognised the opportunity to apply it differently. There is a great deal of thinking like this happening on sites, and we should give it the recognition it deserves.
“We are seeing positive changes in how network operators engage with contractors. Conversations about the next electricity distribution investment period are already taking place…”
We are seeing positive changes in how network operators engage with contractors. Conversations about the next electricity distribution investment period are already taking place while the current programme is being delivered. That earlier visibility helps businesses prepare their workforce and make informed decisions about equipment and capability. Continuing to improve that engagement will be important as delivery volumes increase.
Policy certainty matters, of course, but changes in government are outside our control. What gives me confidence is the underlying need. Much of our infrastructure was built in the post-war era, and upgrading it will take decades. That creates the prospect of lasting careers for people entering the industry today, provided we make the right investments now.
At GRID-UK, I look forward to hearing how others are preparing and discussing where we can learn from one another. We spend a lot of time talking about the challenges, and rightly so. Ultimately, though, we are fortunate to work in an industry with such a substantial opportunity ahead. Our responsibility is to be ready to deliver it.