16.10.2025
The UK’s power sector stands at a pivotal moment.
As the country races towards Net Zero by 2050, the demand for a stronger, smarter, and more resilient transmission and distribution network has never been greater.
According to Ofgem’s RIIO-2 investment framework, more than £24 billion will be invested in the UK’s energy networks between 2026 and 2031, including almost £9 billion dedicated to upgrading and expanding the high-voltage transmission grid.
At the same time, industry research from Energy UK forecasts that the energy transition will create over 156,000 new roles by 2030, with as many as 400,000 jobs needed by 2050 to deliver and maintain the infrastructure essential to achieving Net Zero.
This scale of opportunity also brings challenge. Specialist skills in HV, substations, OHL and commissioning are in short supply, while compliance, safety, and training standards must evolve at the same pace as infrastructure growth.
That’s why collaboration, not competition, will define the sector’s success.
To help meet these challenges, Morson Vital is proud to be a founding member of the Transmission Working Group (TWG), a cross-industry alliance of manufacturers, utilities, EU Skills, training providers, and Tier 1 EPCs working together to raise the bar on training, competence, and workforce development across the UK’s transmission and distribution sector.
Setting the Standard: The Transmission Working Group
Through the TWG, Vital is helping design new apprenticeship pathways and competence frameworks that ensure every person working on the UK’s power network is safe, skilled, and qualified to deliver the next generation of major transmission projects.
Vital is the only workforce partner at the table, bringing real-world, on-site insight to help the industry think smarter, work safer, and deliver better.
We don’t just put people to work, we help shape the standards they work to.
Collaboration That Powers Progress
The launch of our Collaborative Working Partnership with Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission & Distribution team marks another critical step in aligning the industry’s skills, standards, and delivery capability.
This partnership will enable both organisations to align on shared goals, workforce planning, and new models for project delivery, ensuring the UK’s infrastructure ambitions are realised safely, efficiently, and sustainably.
Craig Sutcliffe, Managing Director of Morson Vital, said:
“The signing of this collaborative agreement is recognition of our commitment to invest in the UK’s ambitions around Net Zero.
To meet these goals, we’ll be recruiting over 1,000 new contractors and staff across design, construction, and commissioning roles. The industry as a whole will need more than 100,000 new workers in the transmission and distribution sector alone.
The £90bn of energy investment ahead will also drive delivery across other major infrastructure projects — from new data centres and battery storage to EV charging networks.
Morson Group is excited to be part of this energy revolution.”
Ged Mason OBE, CEO of Morson Group, added:
“The workload ahead in the transmission and distribution sector is vast. Collaboration is the cornerstone of progress, by combining our workforce expertise with Balfour Beatty’s vision, we’re building something that will deliver real impact across the sector.”
Why the Transmission Working Group Matters
The TWG isn’t just a working group, it’s the foundation for how the UK can safely and sustainably scale its power workforce for the future.
1. Building a safer, more competent workforce
Shared frameworks mean clear, consistent standards across the supply chain — ensuring every worker is trained, assessed, and competent before stepping on site.
2. Accelerating the skills pipeline
Apprenticeship pathways developed through the TWG are opening doors for the next generation of electrical engineers, technicians, and site operatives — creating a sustainable talent pipeline for the future.
3. Enabling smarter delivery
Standardised competence frameworks reduce risk, streamline mobilisation, and improve programme certainty across all tiers of the supply chain.
4. Making energy careers credible and visible
With recognised skills validation and career pathways, the TWG is helping reposition the transmission sector as a modern, high-value career destination for UK talent.
Vital’s Strategic Role
As a UK’s leading provider of substation personnel and a trusted delivery partner across the power, rail, and infrastructure sectors, Morson Vital brings a unique combination of scale, compliance, and real-world insight to the table.
- End-to-end coverage – Supporting the full lifecycle: design, build, O&M, handover and commissioning.
- Compliance guaranteed – Accredited to the highest industry standards.
- Trusted partnerships – Decades of long-term collaboration with utilities, manufacturers, design houses, and contractors.
- Ability to scale – Through our in-house training business, industry-first mobile training and welfare vehicle, and our leadership within the Transmission Working Group.
We’re not just responding to demand, we’re helping the industry build the workforce that can deliver it.
Looking Ahead
The UK’s power transmission challenge is immense, but so is the opportunity.
By aligning industry, utilities, and workforce partners through initiatives like the Transmission Working Group, we can build a framework that not only delivers on Net Zero but also leaves a lasting legacy of safety, competence, and skilled employment.
At Morson Vital, we’re proud to be driving that change, helping shape the workforce that will power the nation’s future.
Let’s Power Progress, Together
If your organisation is investing in the UK’s transmission and distribution future and wants to collaborate on competence, skills, or workforce strategy, contact Craig Sutcliffe, Managing Director at Morson Vital to explore partnership opportunities.
Let’s shape the standards, build the teams, and deliver the projects that will define the next generation of UK energy.
