Welcome to the December issue of PEW. As another year hurtles towards its conclusion I am writing this at home while my early Christmas present – a new bathroom – is fitted. As I occasionally wander from office to kitchen, passing said bathroom and checking the installers are OK for drinks, I try and steal a moment and observe them going about their craft with meticulous pride. It rekindles memories of WorldSkillsUK events I have attended in the past.

WorldSkills supports young people across the world via competitions based training, assessment and benchmarking, with members’ national teams ultimately testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills olympics’. The UK National Finals took place in November this year at various locations across Wales and while I could not attend this time around my role as a trade journalist has given me opportunity in the past to speak with WorldSkills finalists and champions. As I alluded to earlier, there is something magically mesmerising about watching professionals go about their chosen trade, whether it’s aircraft maintenance or graphic design, culinary arts or hairdressing, and feeling their passion (and competitiveness) shine through at these events is inspiring to witness.

While I am championing young people and their various trades, however, it would appear that electrical apprenticeships require a boost, as the latest ‘Apprenticeship Gap Report’ (Industry News) has found that the electrical trade faces the most severe deficit across all sectors analysed, with a 227:1 ratio representing a gap of just over 9,600 unfilled positions. This of course adds to the problem of the widening skills gap and the industry as a whole has work to do in 2026 to promote trade industry jobs in the electrotechnical sector if we are to establish a workforce sufficiently equipped for the years ahead.

Let’s end the year on a positive and celebrate the work of you – the wholesaler. Christmas is a pivotal time for this sector, as demand surges not just for decorative lighting but also for the infrastructure that keeps commercial spaces running through extended trading hours. Contractors rush to complete last-minute projects, and wholesalers must balance festive goodwill with the logistics of tight supply chains, fluctuating demand and staff holidays.

So, as the lights go up across towns and cities this December, we raise a glass of mulled wine to the wholesalers keeping the current flowing. Your work may be behind the scenes, but without you Christmas simply wouldn’t shine as brightly.

See you next year!

– Tracey Rushton-Thorpe
Editor

Catch up on previous ‘Editor’s Viewpoint’ here