A national shortage of electricians and a huge demand for housing could see a rise in illegal electrical work undertaken in new homes and apartments.

The Australian today reports that Australia’s energy sector faces a shortfall of 17,000 electricians, mechanics and technicians by 2030 as it chases net zero emissions targets. Electricians, in particular, are in short supply.

“Finding the extra workers, including a 40 per cent increase in electrician apprentices to 20,500 annually, is made harder by apprenticeship completion rates of 60 per cent,” the report says, quoting a study by Powering Skills Organisation.

The electrician shortage also manifests when it comes to installing solar panels where electrical contract licenses are required, which can impact the renewables rollout.

The shortage has already sparked a political row with the Electrical Trades Union attacking an Opposition plan to make it easier for foreign tradies to work in Australia to meet demand.

“This cheap and nasty plan will dilute the living standards of electricians by making them compete with foreign sparkies on short term visas who cannot enforce their labour rights,” said ETU national secretary Michael Wright when the plan was announced last year.

However, Australia is experiencing problems training enough electricians to meet demand for new housing, including homes and apartments needed urgently to address the housing crisis. Factors such as an ageing workforce and retirements and insufficient new trainees and apprentices aren’t being addressed by new entrants locally.

“Electrical workers/electricians (who make up 30% of the building and construction workforce) are in massively short supply, and those that are currently in the trade are run off their feet,” says an article by Electrical Group Training.

“The two greatest factors are an aging workforce retiring (baby boomers are mostly all at retirement age or beyond), and an undersupply of new tradespeople joining the trade,” the article says.

“Additionally, and compounding these effects, is the growth of new sectors of the electrical industry such as renewable energies, the changing face of technologies across the construction industry, as well as population booms in various cities … this has created somewhat of a perfect storm for there to be a serious undersupply of electrical workers.

“With industries ranging from construction through to renewable energy like solar and wind, new technologies like hydrogen, plus manufacturing, mining, gas and water – they are in massive demand everywhere.”

Authorities warn construction companies and DYI renovators of the safety risks should they try and skirt around the shortage by engaging unqualified contractors to do illegal electrical work. There’s also the prospect of massive fines which start at $40,000 for individuals.

In June two Western Australian companies and three people were fined almost $40,000 for an illegal electrical licence-sharing arrangement involving 25 rooftop solar installations, PV Magazine reports.

The PSO report quoted by The Australian lists electricians, airconditioning and re­friger­ation mechanics, lines­workers, electrical engineering tech­nicians and electronics workers as jobs urgently needed in the energy sector.