On Tuesday, the Maine Community College System (MCCS), Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and Diamond Offshore Wind (DOW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to a partnership that will map out workforce needs of the offshore wind industry in Maine and support the development of offshore wind technicians and other skilled workers. Leaders from the…

By Wesley Witt, chair, and Kristy Abel, vice chair, GWO North America Committee The amount of standardized safety training continues to increase year-over-year across North America in the wind industry because companies gain productivity and a more flexible workforce, while workers are more easily hired and valuable to their employers. In 2020, the number of…

By Sam Heim, Media Specialist, Petzl The wind technician career is projected to have the highest job growth rate in the United States for the next eight years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected percent change in employment from 2019 to 2029 for wind techs is 61%; the average job growth rate…

Massachusetts-based Bristol Community College’s National Offshore Wind Institute (NOWI) has entered a global partnership with one of the world’s largest and most trusted providers of offshore wind training, Maersk Training. “Bristol is proud to partner with globally recognized Maersk Training, whose expertise and experience will elevate the college’s leadership in training the workforce needed for the emerging offshore wind industry,” said Laura L. Douglas, President, Bristol…

Abaris Training Resources, a composite materials training institute, will resume classes on June 1st, 2020 at its Reno, Nevada location after being closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The Abaris team is excited to be getting back to work and will start with two of the most popular courses: ‘Composite Essentials for Engineers’…

Demand from major wind energy employers for standardized safety training has led to a major increase in the use of Global Wind Organisation (GWO) standards in North America. The training, which covers basic safety and technical skills for one of the fastest-growing jobs in America, almost doubled in 2019, with training providers across key wind…

Workers employed by or contracting with the world’s leading wind energy companies increasingly follow a single, global training standard. New figures from Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non-profit body owned by leading turbine manufacturers and owners, reveal a 26% increase in the amount of training courses delivered using to its standards. GWO aligns the basic…

Boston Energy, a global wind-turbine maintenance company, will make Rhode Island the home of its U.S operations. Boston Energy, which will be based at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Providence, will create more than 50 jobs in the Ocean State. “Rhode Island is a leader in offshore wind,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo (D-R.I.). “This…

Castrol, a provider of lubricants to the wind energy industry, is launching the Castrol Wind Academy. The new Academy is a multi-channel training program designed to up-skill wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) technician teams with the latest insights, technologies, processes, and examples of how best practices in O&M can improve operational efficiency, equipment life…

Safety is paramount at any job site and, particularly, at a wind site where workers are typically dozens of feet above the ground.  Reggie Ham, Technical Operations Manager with Tech Safety Lines (TSL), recently shared his insight on fall-protection and safety with Windpower Engineering & Development. Ham was a wind technician for eight years prior…

The Baker-Polito Administration announced $721,500 in grants to six academic institutions and labor organizations to establish workforce training and development programs to support the state’s emerging offshore wind industry. The awards, which include a $200,000 commitment from Vineyard Wind’s Windward Workforce Fund, represent a significant investment to grow a workforce in the Commonwealth to meet…

Bristol Community College and JDR Cables (part of the TFKable Group) have launched an innovative collaboration to train the future workforce for the global offshore wind industry. President Laura L. Douglas, Ph.D., of Bristol Community College, and Business Development Manager, at JDR, Neil Brown, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide technical job training as…

One way the U.S. offshore wind industry can optimize project developments and better ensure ROIs is to learn from the experience of others — and that’s precisely what those spearheading the offshore sector in the country are doing. Europe and the UK are decades ahead in offshore wind, so the United States is seeking advice,…

A group of the worlds’ largest wind-turbine manufacturers and owners have re-affirmed their commitment to use globally recognized minimum safety training standards for workers across the world. Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non-profit body owned by 16 leading wind energy companies, has reported rapid rises in the numbers of people trained to its standards. GWO…

Last fall, the New York State Energy Research & Development (NYSERDA) released its “2018 New York Clean Energy Industry Report,” which found that over 151,000 workers were employed in the clean energy sector in the state. More than 5,600 jobs were added just in the last year and more are expected. In fact, the state…

The northeast states in the U.S. have committed to 10,000 MW of offshore wind to be built in the next 10 years. But to do that, it is important to train the professionals, managers, and newcomers to the industry who can deliver on this promise. That’s where Offshore Wind Skills Academy at the University of Delaware…

Every construction site presents certain risks or hazards and this is particularly true of wind sites. Wind farms pose a safety challenge to techs and engineers because of the chance of falls and dropped objects. The harsh conditions typical at wind sites only heighten these concerns. Strong wind gusts or frigid temperatures can quickly and…

A few years ago, sending wind technicians up-tower was the O&M option to conduct turbine tower and blade inspections. Advancements in drone technology or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), however, have turned such labor-intensive maintenance efforts into a more precise, streamlined process. The global wind-turbine inspection drone market is expected to $6 billion in the next…

GE Renewable Energy confirms the completion of its recruitment plan for 2018 at LM Wind Power‘s offshore wind blade manufacturing site in France. The site today counts more than 100 employees, 34% of whom are women. On September 10, the first group of 30 newly-hired employees, from all functions, participated in the launch of the…

Approximately 100 students visited Phoenix Contact’s U.S. headquarters in Middletown, Pa. kicked off the second annual “Think BIG!” program. The partnership with Harrisburg School District is a year-long curriculum designed to get elementary students excited about STEM careers — such as in wind and solar energy. What makes this program unique from other STEM activities…