On Electrical Services

Andres Hernandez is an Industrial Engineer and Operations Manager at On Electrical Services, where he leads workforce operations supporting electrical contractors across commercial, industrial, government, and mission-critical projects in the Southeast. His work focuses on skilled-workforce development, skills-based deployment, workforce planning, and field-to-office integration. Drawing on a background in industrial engineering and software development, he has implemented digital systems and AI-supported processes across recruiting, onboarding, training, workforce tracking, and operations. Hernandez is a member of the IEC Emerging Leaders 2026 cohort and contributes to TradeTalk, an industry initiative focused on knowledge sharing and workforce development across the electrical trade.

Building Workforce Intelligence

The skilled labor gap in the electrical industry is real, but in my experience, it is not simply a matter of not having enough workers. Contractors need experienced electricians who can add capacity to projects today, while the industry must also develop the apprentices and early-career workers who will become tomorrow’s electricians and field leaders.

Addressing that gap takes more than recruiting. It requires developing the workforce we already have, using better information and technology to plan and deploy talent, and improving communication between the field and the office.

Even experienced electricians with broad skill sets can have different areas of strength depending on the projects and systems they have been exposed to. One may be especially strong in running and bending EMT or rigid conduit, another in panels and terminations, while another may have deeper experience with lighting controls.

A contractor may ask for “an electrician,” but if the immediate scope involves lighting controls, assigning an otherwise experienced electrician with limited controls exposure may not solve the project’s need. Successful workforce deployment depends on matching a worker’s strengths and experience to the actual scope of work, not simply matching a job title to an opening.

The industry needs a more skills-based approach to workforce management. The goal is not simply to know how many electricians you have. It is to understand what each person does well, where that person can add the most value, and what they need to learn next. A skills profile should evolve as field feedback, project exposure, certifications, and training expand a worker’s capabilities.

Creating Paths for Growth

Workforce development is just as important. The industry not only needs to bring more people into the trades; it also needs to develop and retain the people who are already there.

I have seen people enter the trade as apprentices and progress into roles such as journeyman-level electricians, foremen, project managers, licensed master electricians, and business owners. That progression takes training, mentorship, field exposure, opportunity, and a clear path for growth. Training creates the foundation, but field exposure is where those skills are developed and proven.

“The goal is not simply to know how many electricians you have. It is to understand what each person does well, where that person can add the most value, and what they need to learn next.”

Mentorship also matters on a larger scale. As experienced electricians retire, the industry risks losing decades of practical knowledge unless that experience is intentionally passed on. Creating opportunities for apprentices, electricians, foremen, project managers, and industry leaders to share real field experience can help preserve that knowledge.

A motivated apprentice needs a foreman who knows how to teach, guide, and communicate. At the same time, even a strong foreman cannot develop someone who has no interest in learning. Contractors should support motivated apprentices while helping field leaders strengthen their mentoring and leadership skills.

From Hiring to Workforce Planning

Retention is part of the solution as well. Workers are more likely to stay when, in addition to competitive compensation and stable work, they feel valued, heard, supported, and able to grow.

Better forecasting matters too. Recruiting often begins only when a project is starting and manpower is urgently needed. A stronger approach connects upcoming projects and scope of work with manpower forecasts, required skills, workforce availability, and proactive recruiting. That gives contractors more time to find the right people.

Technology can make these processes easier to manage and scale. In our own operation, we experienced the difference between handling recruiting, onboarding, training, certifications, and worker information manually and using structured digital systems. When paired with clear processes, technology improves follow-up, reduces administrative work, and gives teams more time to focus on development, relationships, and planning.

Technology does not replace good processes; it allows good processes to scale.

Artificial intelligence can extend that capacity by helping analyze worker profiles, surface potential matches based on documented skills and project requirements, support forecasting, flag discrepancies, and automate repetitive tasks. But AI should support judgment, not replace it. Final workforce decisions still depend on human review, relationships, leadership, and trust.

The final piece is stronger integration between the field and the office. Recruiting needs to understand what the field actually needs. Project managers and foremen need to be aligned on manpower, priorities, and timelines. Operations needs visibility into when workers may become available for reassignment. Field feedback should also improve each worker’s profile and future development.

Workforce management should operate as a continuous feedback loop between the field and the office.

The electrical skilled labor gap will not be solved by hiring alone. It will be solved by developing and retaining talent, improving workforce planning, matching strengths to the actual scope of work, and using technology to connect the right people with the right opportunities.

The future of the electrical workforce depends on our ability to develop people, understand their capabilities, and use technology to support, not replace, the human relationships and judgment that make long-term growth possible.