The UK's skills shortage is a "catastrophe waiting to happen", according to Develop Training Limited (DTL).

The training specialist has called on Prime Minister Theresa May to introduce initiatives to attract workers into the utilities sector.

Chris Wood, Chief Executive Officer of DTL, said the crisis "threatens to turn out Britain's lights".

-- Advertisement --

"A solution to the twin problems of a chronic skills shortage in our utilities industry and high youth unemployment is obvious - train young people to take the places of the ageing workforce, but it just isn't happening at anything like the rate that it needs to be," he said.

"The new PM and her Cabinet must make it a government priority to look into ways to correct this issue as a matter of extreme urgency.

"We all need confidence that our lights will stay on, our heating will continue to keep our houses warm and our taps keep providing running water, but the day is fast approaching when there will simply not be enough workers to do these vital jobs."

(LM/CD)