Turbine blade repair and maintenance outfit GEV Wind Power has opened new training facilities in the US and UK in an effort to help bridge the global skills gap for technicians in the sector.
The group has established the North American Wind Academy at its US headquarters in Texas.
One of the first of its kind, the facility sees GEV become the first independent service provider of in-house accredited Global Wind Organisation (GWO) blade repair courses and trade testing programmes to assess technician competence.
GEV has also built on its UK training academy in Hull by introducing a new turbine training initiative which will allow technicians to conduct rope access procedures and technology applications at the Port of Blyth’s pioneering Wind Turbine Training Facility.
With almost 600,000 technicians needed by 2027 to support the major growth of the global wind industry and turbine technicians predicted to be one of the fastest-growing occupations in the US, GEV’s new training facilities underline how it is working to meet the demand.
“The launch of these facilities is another significant development for GEV,” said the company’s chief executive David Fletcher.
He added: “It is part of our wider global mission to further invest in and up-skill our dedicated technician pool while also building confidence for both technicians and clients on future projects.
“Offering certified training for newly-qualified technicians and ensuring technicians possess the specific in-field skills to excel on client projects globally is pivotal to enhancing technical competence and offering the best possible readiness for technicians. The ability to offer in-house GWO courses has also been highly anticipated and is playing a crucial role in accelerating efforts to meet 2050 net zero targets.”
The North American Wind Academy in Fort Worth was created in direct response to the rapid industry growth taking place across North America. Having recently installed a new platform structure and dedicated training equipment, GEV has completed its first blade repair training which involves assessing competence through dedicated scenarios.
The training at the Wind Turbine Training Facility, which is run by Port of Byth’s training division, helps address one of the biggest challenges voiced by technicians wanting to join the industry which is gaining relevant turbine experience including rope access training.
GEV intends training technicians at its UK academy, which is based in the Humberside Offshore Training Academy (HOTA), before utilising the 33m high turbine at Blyth to put their skills into practice in a real-world environment. The training reflects the practices and techniques which are to be expected for upcoming projects.
GEV’s Australian GWO certified training facility is based in Sydney and was established by RIGCOM which was acquired by GEV last year. This enabled GEV to expand its training offering on a global scale.