GE Renewable Energy said it plans to recruit 300 employees at its LM Wind Power wind turbine blade manufacturing site in Cherbourg, France, in 2021.
Every new hire will go through an intensive training programme at the factory’s “Center of Excellence” to learn wind turbine blade manufacturing processes, GE said.
The expanded production workforce will allow LM Wind Power to meet the growing industry demand from the offshore wind industry.
The factory currently has more than 450 employees, of which 34% are female.
The facility became the first wind turbine blade manufacturing site in France when it opened almost three years ago in April 2018.
The factory has produced the first offshore wind turbine blade longer than 100 metres, a 107-metre long blade that will be used in GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine.
A second 107-meter blade manufacturing mould is being installed at the plant.
Florence Martinez Flores, the site’s HR director, said: “The arrival of the second mould within the factory marks an increased activity for LM Wind Power in Cherbourg, and we are happy to welcome a large wave of new employees, allowing us to participate in social development and create more jobs in the surrounding community, but also to bring new skills to the region.”
The Cherbourg team is mostly looking to expand its production workforce, with positions that are open to all profiles and backgrounds.
The training programme runs for six weeks, with theoretical and practical elements, which will develop the skills and technical expertise required to produce high-quality wind turbine blades.
The site will also be looking for production supervisors, quality controllers and maintenance technicians.
Following the training, employees receive official certificates recognised in the French industry, as a Qualification Certificate for Metallurgy Operations.