Big Take Podcast

The Electric Revolution Has a Huge Labor Shortage Problem

On today’s Big Take podcast: From solar panels to AI data centers, the world is rapidly electrifying. But there aren’t enough workers to pull it off.

Octopus Energy apprentices during a training exercise installing radiators at the companys Sheffield Catalyst site within Sheffield Business Park.Photographer: Lorna MacKay/Bloomberg

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By Sarah Holder, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, and David Fox

June 5, 2025 at 9:37 PM UTC

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There's a vital puzzle piece missing as rich nations aim to transform their electricity grids for the AI age: millions of skilled engineers.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi joins host Sarah Holder to break down how labor shortages in the electrification industry are slowing down the green energy transition and what it would take to turn things around. Plus, the one country bucking the trend.