This summer has seen the start of a Member consultation to shape ECA’s public affairs priorities for 2027 to 2030. It’s a great opportunity to make sure our work with government and decision makers continues to reflect what Members are seeing on the ground, the pressures they face locally, and the opportunities ahead for the electrotechnical sector. 

Our current priorities — Business Resilience, Skills for the Future, and a Safe Transition to Net Zero — were agreed after Member consultation in 2022. Since then, they have helped focus ECA’s conversations with government, civil servants and other decision makers. There’s already plenty to build on, including electrification being recognised as the fastest route to net zero, action on unfair electricity taxation, Member representation on the Construction Skills Mission Board, regional skills work through Electrotechnical Training and Careers Alliances, and generational reform on retentions through the Late Payments Bill currently going through Parliament. 

ECA’s Standing Committees — Business and Policy and Practice, Technical, and Skills — have now considered the priorities for the next three years. Based on their feedback, the proposed high-level priorities are Business Resilience, A Skilled and Competent Workforce, and A Safe Electrical Future. 

RECs are now being asked whether these feel like the right priorities for their region, and whether the wording captures the practical pressures Members are experiencing locally. 

Member engagement will continue through the autumn, with Council expected to ratify the final list in December before the new priorities go live in 2027. 

This is a valuable chance to keep ECA’s public affairs work rooted in Member insight, focused on the issues that matter most, and ready to support our industry’s future.