America’s electrical worker shortage: Closing the gap

Editor’s note: A new national workforce-training coalition, Careers Electric™, seeks to expand access to high-quality electrical training and create clear pathways to well-paying, in-demand electrical careers.

The United States is facing explosive new demand for electrical workers as data centers and AI infrastructure are being built and American manufacturing expands to keep pace. In the face of our great need for more electrical workers, however, the number of electrical workers retiring from the field each year exceeds the number entering it. In short, we're going backwards when we need to accelerate rapidly.

And yet, at the same time, we know that 37 percent of adults in the U.S. report that they couldn't cover a $400 unexpected expense with savings or credit, and 70 percent say that the American dream—that hard work pays off—is unattainable. These are sad facts for too many families and dangerous statistics for any country.

When powerful market forces align closely to the needs of workers, families, and communities, great opportunities arise. That is the case today and a new workforce development program, Careers Electric™, sits at the center of that confluence. Initially incubated by the Siemens Foundation, a broad coalition is now forming to drive the vision in North Carolina and, eventually, across the country.

Go-it-alone models of workforce training cannot overcome the stark demographic reality the United States is facing today; coalition members, and many beyond the coalition, are acutely aware of this fact. Too often, skilled careers, like electrical careers, are viewed as yesterday’s pathway to success. In fact, they are the foundation of tomorrow’s economy—putting people at the leading edge of America’s drive to reindustrialize and lead the AI race.

A national coalition

The vision for Careers Electric™ is to bring business, government, labor, education and philanthropy together for a common purpose: ensuring innovation creates opportunities for workers across the country to strengthen America’s competitiveness and restore belief in the American dream.

Careers Electric™ aims to train 25,000 students and workers over its first decade.

We’re building this program on North Carolina’s strong, innovative workforce-development ecosystem already in place by partnering with business, workers, education systems, and government to create meaningful pathways for well-paying, sustainable careers in the electrical trades.

A model to scale nationally

To launch the program, Siemens Foundation has invested $9.25 million in world-class workforce partners including:

• North Carolina Business Committee for Education: To launch high school electrical pre-apprenticeship programs, supporting 700 high school students in 20 regions over two years, starting this summer.
• Wake Tech Community College: To increase enrollment, equipment, and advanced training courses in electrical systems technology.
• North Carolina Community College System Office and the Community College Foundation: To expand capacity in electrical training programs at 10 additional community colleges across the state.
• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program: To provide advanced training in specialized fields like energy storage, microgrids, and electric vehicles.
• Families and Workers Fund: To invest in wraparound support for training participants who require an economic bridge to a better paycheck.

On February 18, Governor Josh Stein unveiled Careers Electric™ at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, NC, where he invited potential stakeholders—employers, foundations, and trade associations—to join the Siemens Foundation as equal partners in this work. Just before the event, Governor Stein facilitated a fantastic round-table conversation with leaders from across North Carolina and the country to discuss building a coalition that could put Careers Electric™ in motion.

Like our partners, the Siemens Foundation knows this work must be done in coalition and at scale. We’re proud to provide backbone support for this effort, but no single organization can do this alone. Real impact happens when we tackle our workforce issues collectively.

The call to action now is for greater collaboration. Industry leaders, educators, workers, labor leaders and policymakers—let’s unite to fill the skills gap and help Americans find quality work in the electrical field. Together, we can and must modernize how we prepare workers for tomorrow’s challenges.

Published: March 12, 2026