I'm playing through the first Mass effect game and I'm the vanguard class which isn't good at using the electronics skill. I got to a part where there was the option to activate a plasma containment chamber to kill some bugs inside instead of fighting them head on. I had Tali with me and she has plenty of ranks in the electronics tree.
How can I order my squad mates to use the electronics skill on objects that I can't?
The electronics skill is a passive skill that is only 'usable' by Shepherd when dealing with locks and the such. For the rest of your team-mates, it's just useful in unlocking other skills and passive combat abilities once it gets to certain levels.
EDIT
As @Memor-X mentions it's also possible that these passive stats are calculated on an average party wide basis. So even if you upgrade the skill just for one character, it's possible that you can open locks and perform hacks above Shepherd's skill level
The electronics or decryption skills are passive apart from the abilities you unlock when leveling them up. when it comes to interacting with consoles/lockers in the environment you can't task your squad to do it for you.
I play as a Soldier who has neither skill and with my squad i always have Tali and Gerus, both have Electronics and Decryption skills which i normally focus on one from each of them and i am still able to unlock/open almost anything, so it appears that consoles/lockers in the game which require these skills are based off from the party's skill (unsure if it's the highest value or the party's total value) when you interact with them
Evidence to this is in the Eden Prime Mission when playing as a Solider, unless you spend points on Kaiden who is the only one in the party who has both skills (if you are a Soldier), you'll be unable to open the door after the first encounter with Husks where you find those scientists (one female who praises "the maker" that your humans (which seems like a Dragon Age reference) and one male who speaks of "a Turian" (Seran) as a Prophet of Destruction, a Dialog Option has you knock him out) or the lockers by the beacon.
When you approach an object which requires one of these skills you are given the object's name and underneath (on 360) you will either have the A button appearing and next to it Easy/Average/Hard Electronics/Decryption if your skill is high enough or you have "Skill too low" if it's not
I'm sorry but i didn't know which system you were playing on so i covered all bases. this will access the teammates talents when you select one it will use that ability
To access the party's talents, press and hold RB (R1). Use the left thumbstick to browse each member's abilities, and press A (cross) to queue an ability up as an action, which will be used when you release RB (R1). You can also press X (square) to map the ability, but note that there is no way to unmap it. Tap RB (R1) whenever you want to quickly activate it in combat. Weapon abilities are interchangeable -- for example, if Marksman is mapped and you are carrying a shotgun with Carnage unlocked, tapping RB (R1) will activate Carnage.
HUD Screen (PC) Edit PC HUD Screen The PC version uses a HUD screen instead of the Power Wheel. The screen is split into three sections: On the right and left of the screen, the player can view the talents and abilities of the squad, and issue order by clicking with the mouse on the talent, weapon, or squadmate orders icons. On the bottom, the player can view Shepard's talents and abilities and, by clicking with the mouse, select what ability to use, or weapon to swap to. The player can also right-click and hold the button while moving the mouse, to aim the crosshair to target a specific opponent.
