EuropeOn recently had the opportunity to meet with Philippe Lamberts, Principal Adviser to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for the transition to a climate-neutral economy.
The exchange provided an important opportunity to present the electrical contracting sector and highlight the essential role electrical professionals play in tackling some of Europe’s major challenges, including electrification, energy security and resilience, competitiveness, and digitalisation.
Electrification must remain a priority
Discussions focused in particular on the upcoming Electrification Action Plan (EAP), which has once again been postponed and is now expected on 22 July.
Electrification remains one of the most effective tools available to strengthen Europe’s energy independence, accelerate decarbonisation, and improve competitiveness. For EuropeOn, the postponement of the Electrification Action Plan should therefore serve to ensure a truly ambitious framework, setting clear targets and concrete measures to accelerate electrification across Europe.
Electrical contractors will play a central role in implementing these objectives on the ground. From installing heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, and solar technologies to modernising electrical systems and supporting the digitalisation of buildings, electrical professionals are directly enabling Europe’s energy transition.
Skills shortages remain a major bottleneck
Another key topic discussed during the meeting was the widespread shortage of skilled workers across Europe. While electrification ambitions continue to grow, the sector is already facing significant workforce shortages. EuropeOn highlighted the urgent need to attract, train, and retain qualified professionals in the electrical sector.
Philippe Lamberts underlined the important role Member States can play in identifying workforce needs and developing policies to encourage more people to pursue technical and vocational careers.
The French example
This challenge is already becoming increasingly visible at national level. On the same day as this meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron gathered stakeholders at the Palais de l’Élysée to motivate industry leaders to make pledges and accelerate electrification in France, following the publication of the French government’s new Electrification Plan.
Discussions focused on increasing the deployment of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, heat pumps, and electrified industrial processes. While these ambitions are essential for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and energy independence, they also underline a critical reality: electrification requires a significantly larger skilled workforce to install, maintain, and integrate these technologies.
EuropeOn’s French member SERCE participated in the discussions and signed two agreements alongside its partners from FIERE and the Équipe de France de l’Électrification. In response to the ambitious targets set by the French Government, SERCE also committed to recruiting 120,000 additional professionals and 3,000 apprentices annually to support the country’s electrification trajectory.
Other stakeholders’ pledges included car manufacturers Renault and Stellantis establishing new EV factories in France by 2029, deploying 240,000 additional EV charging points by 2030, producing one million heat pumps in France by the end of the decade, and France’s TSO and DSO accelerating permitting procedures and ramping up investment in grid capacity, to name just a few.
As Europe continues to advance electrification, it will be key to set up ambitious frameworks that recognise both the strategic importance of electrification and the need to invest in the skilled workforce to make it happen.
