With coal in decline and wind energy on the rise, one company wants to offer free training to a couple hundred interested people who want to become part of the highest growing profession in the next decade – wind turbine technician.
The U.S. affiliate of a Chinese turbine manufacturer, Goldwind Americas, held informational seminars across Wyoming last week to gauge interest in a free, two-week training program called, “Goldwind Works.”
According to the New York Times, the initiative could train as many as 200 people for wind turbine jobs on a wind farm the company intends to build this summer in southeastern Wyoming.
Sarah Young, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, attended one of the seminars last Wednesday in Casper.
“They have developed a 2-week certification program,” said Young, who attended the seminar out of curiosity.
“They brought in some of their wind technicians that work at different sites around the country, they talked a little bit about their jobs, it sounds like there will be an application process if Wyoming citizens are interested, but it really seemed like they were just trying to gauge interest from the Wyoming residents on if this is something that people would want to take advantage of,” said Young.
The Wyoming Infrastructure Authority likes the idea of this free training program, according to Young, they see it as a way to continue diversifying the state’s economy, and to keep Wyoming jobs in the hands of Wyoming citizens.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind energy technician jobs are projected to grow 108% in the next ten years.
“What this means is there’s approximately a little over 4 thousand wind techs in the country right now,” said Rob Godby, Director of Energy Economics and Public Policy Center at the University of Wyoming.
“Now that’s not all the people that work in the wind energy area, but these are actually technicians that go up in the turbines to repair them and keep them maintained – that number is expected, by the middle of the next decade, to be a demand of about 10 thousand,” said Godby.
The University of Wyoming offersa four-year degree in Energy Air Land & Water Management. Nearby, Laramie County Community College offers a two-year degree in wind energy technology.
But Godby says this two-week training program to be offered by Goldwind Americas wouldn’t replace those degrees. Instead, training programs churn out entry-level workers that can get a foot through the wind energy door.
“So this is really just a symptom of the fact that current training programs just aren’t producing the required personnel,” said Godby.
The Associated Press reports that wind capacity in Wyoming would double if all the proposals on the table for new farms are realized.
Goldwind Americas, the company offering the two-week training program for interested wind turbine technicians, was not available for comment when contacted by YPR this afternoon.
