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Job Skils Defined for Fastest Growing Renewable Energy Sector

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Skills for educating wind-turbine technicians have been agreed upon by a consortium of Washington state technical schools and community colleges. The job category is important because the wind-power industry has been identified as one of the fastest growing sectors of the renewable energy industry in the U.S. The Skill Standards for Wind Turbine Technicians report is available online.

In a WSU Energy Extension news release, Terry Meade, plant manager at Energy Northwest’s Nine Mile Canyon Wind Farm, said, “The skill sets defined in the report are an important first step to help the education sector provide the specific training needs of this industry, where good fundamental skills, technical knowledge and a safe work environment are extremely important.”

Alan Hardcastle, a senior researcher at the WSU Extension Energy Program, directed the development of the standards over the past year and, with research colleagues, wrote the final report. “Industry and labor were actively engaged in this project from the beginning, and that says a great deal about the importance they attach to having a skilled workforce, including the key roles that our postsecondary education and workforce development partners need to play to support continued growth in renewable energy,” he said.

The original press release, mostly puffery, is here.

Terry Meade, plant manager at Energy Northwest’s Nine Mile Canyon Wind Farm said, “The skill sets defined in the report are an important first step to help the education sector provide the specific training needs of this industry, where good fundamental skills, technical knowledge and a safe work environment are extremely important.
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Written by Brian

December 14th, 2009 at 1:40 pm