How learning and development can answer the UK’s great electricity connections problem

The industry must unite to tackle the connections gridlock with a forward-thinking, proactive approach to talent. Capgemini’s new training programme plans to do just that.

The UK electricity industry is undergoing a rapid transformation to meet net-zero targets and reform its grid connections processes. Yet a critical skills gap persists at the intersection of consulting expertise and technology integration capabilities supporting minor and major connections across distribution and transmission networks.

Spearheading the effort to bridge this skills gap is Capgemini, who is building a structured learning programme focusing on helping address the skills gaps in the market and cultivating deep subject matter expertise and building a talent engine that meets our client’s needs.

Here, Mark Thompson, Client Director – Energy Transition & Utilities, explains the great connections challenge, why thinking differently is key, and how targeted learning and development presents a powerful opportunity to build the next generation of energy industry talent.

Firstly, what do we mean by connections?

In an electricity network, connections refer to the process of establishing a link between an energy user or provider and the electricity network, enabling the flow of power to or from the grid. Connections are typically categorised as minor or major.

Minor connections are usually at the local or consumer end of the network and includes domestic housing developments, small commercial buildings, local street lighting, and many low carbon technologies (LCTs).

Major connections are typically medium to high-voltage transmission for bulk power transfer, strategic grid operations, and industrial-scale energy use – (e.g. power stations, high load facilities, nationally significant assets).

Gigawatts and gridlocks – how did we get here?

Major Connections:

At the end of 2024, the UK grid connections queue was standing at 738 gigawatts (GW) – surpassing, by a staggering amount, the 200–225 GW of clean generation capacity required by 2030. The ensuing delays, which can stretch beyond five years, are stalling progress on renewable energy deployment and threatening the UK’s net-zero ambitions.

Recognising the urgency, the UK government introduced connections reform: a bold new approach to replace the old model with a “first ready and needed, first connected” approach. This aims to prioritise viable, strategic energy projects and accelerate their access to the grid. The reform is of course part of a broader Connections Action Plan, which seeks to slash connection delays from over five years to just six months. Complementing this is the Transmission Acceleration Action Plan, designed to halve the time required to build new transmission infrastructure. Together, these initiatives promise to unlock over 100 GW of capacity and pave the way for a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

Minor Connections:

Whilst minor connections are generally simpler and follow standardised processes and forms, they increasingly face pain points like delays due to local network congestion, uncertainty around costs when upgrades are needed, and limited transparency in connection timelines.

As demand for LCTs grows, these issues are becoming more prominent, prompting calls for better coordination, clearer guidance, and more proactive network planning by Distribution Network Operators (DNOs).

This is important for customers because minor electricity connections – those for EV chargers, solar panels, or heat pumps – are often part of personal or business efforts to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. When these connections are delayed, unclear, or costly, it can lead to frustration, financial uncertainty, and missed opportunities to adopt LCTs. With increasing demand for minor connections (especially with the UK’s push toward net zero) DNOs face increasing pressure to streamline processes, improve transparency, and ensure network readiness. All of which are essential to maintaining public confidence and meeting decarbonisation goals.

The investment imperative

The UK electricity industry is making a major financial and strategic commitment to address connection challenges across both minor and major connections, spanning transmission and distribution networks.

Ofgem has approved an initial £24 billion investment, including £8.9 billion for high-voltage electricity infrastructure, as part of a broader £80 billion programme to upgrade the grid and accelerate clean energy connections. In parallel, the government has committed £960 million to support green industries and fast-track grid access for renewables and strategic demand projects.

However, money alone will not solve the problem. The industry must also rethink how it operates – moving from siloed, reactive approaches to a more integrated, data-driven ecosystem – and invest in the people and skills needed to deliver this transformation. This includes everything from technical expertise to customer engagement and digital innovation.

Lessons from the digital frontline

Capgemini has spent the past decade helping energy clients around the world digitise their connections processes using a range of different technologies. This work has largely been driven by regulatory pressures and the need to improve performance metrics like time to quote, time to connect, and customer satisfaction.

While these metrics have sharpened focus and enabled digitisation of what were archaic processes driven by manual forms and processes, it has also had unintended consequences. Many DNOs have become overly fixated on compliance, leading to siloed thinking and short-term firefighting rather than long-term strategic planning.

So, what should we do instead?

Introducing a specific connections training programme

At Capgemini, we believe that the greatest opportunity in this complex landscape and wider ecosystem isn’t just about technology, it’s about talent.

That’s why we’re focused on the launch of a specific initiative within our Energy Transition and Utilities business that can help power both Capgemini and our clients in the Energy Transition – along with cultivating subject-matter expertise in junior talent.

The structured connections learning programme will help to address the critical skills gap facing the UK electricity sector, and to position Capgemini as the partner of choice for utilities and energy transition.

Under this initiative, Capgemini will bring together all Capgemini business lines leveraging diverse perspectives and deep subject matter expertise across the connections value chain (from renewables to energisation and from engineering to customer experience). Through a structured skills programme, we’re identifying our first set of candidates and developing our training, building a community of subject matter experts to crowdsource innovation from across our teams and key partners.

The curriculum will blend engineering, consulting, digital customer experience, and data skills with energy systems expertise. Graduates will be equipped to navigate complex regulatory frameworks, design industry-aligned solutions, and deliver seamless digital experiences for energy customers.

The connections crisis demands bold, holistic thinking, cross-sector collaboration, and a willingness to learn from others. This is about more than closing the skills gap; it’s about creating an innovation ecosystem for our clients and driving energy networks along the energy transition. By investing in talent and innovation now, we can build a resilient, future-proof workforce for years to come.

Watch this space for a follow-up blog from the first of our employees going through this training and their view on how technology and AI can help drive the industry forward. Coming in early 2026.

Get involved

The future of the UK’s energy system depends on our ability to connect not just wires and substations, but people, ideas, and solutions.

Do you share our ambitions for a collaborative, proactive industry that’s prepared for the challenges ahead as well as today? We’re looking to partner with key clients and industry leaders to create a pipeline of expertise that powers both Capgemini and our clients on the energy transition journey.

As we move into Q4 of 2025, our focus is on developing this training programme and working with our first group of graduates at Capgemini to actively engage in its delivery. We welcome the involvement of industry and partners and have begun engaging with many of our clients to help contribute and shape this important initiative.

Please do get in touch to find out how you can be part of it.