Employment in Wind Power
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The employment opportunities in the global wind energy sector ranges from operating wind turbines to manufacturing blades and developing floating wind turbines. The US, the UK and Denmark have taken significant strides in training in order to meet the spiraling demand in this sector.
The employment opportunities in the global wind energy sector ranges from operating wind turbines to manufacturing blades and developing floating wind turbines. The US, the UK and Denmark have taken significant strides in training in order to meet the spiraling demand in this sector.
The US is currently the world’s leading producer of wind energy. Wind turbine towers have mushroomed across the nation at a rapid pace in 2007 alone. The US had installed 3,200 new wind turbines, pushing the number of towers in the wind power sector ahead of 25,000. With this, there has been an increased demand for technicians, project managers, construction managers, electrical engineer inspectors, technical training specialists and field engineers.
More and more US community colleges in places such as North Dakota, Wyoming, Oregon, Kansas and Minnesota are currently focusing on developing a distinct niche for themselves by offering wind tech programs. With increasing demand for wind technicians, it is clear that several hundreds of jobs will need to be created in order to meet demand.
In Oklahoma, for example, the opportunities for turbine technicians have surged along with wind related manufacturing jobs, such as the construction of blades, poles and turbines. According to media reports, most Oklahoma-based companies are struggling to fill job vacancies.
The world’s largest offshore wind farm is planned in the UK. Germany’s E.ON and Denmark-based Dong Energy purchased Shell’s 33 percent stake in the London Array project in July 2008. The first phase of development of the offshore wind farm is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, according to E.ON UK. The country will require nearly 3,000 additional offshore wind turbines in order to fulfill its renewable sources target of 15 percent by 2020. The offshore wind energy sector is expected to generate more than 30,000 new jobs in the UK.
In July 2008, Holland-based British company Blue H announced its plans to develop the world’s first floating wind turbine. The prototype is to be made off the Italian coast comprising a full-scale, 90 MW, floating wind farm. While job opportunities will grow with the emergence of more and more floating windmills, there is lack of clarity regarding the specific job categories that would be in great demand to ensure the smooth functioning and maintenance of these floating wind turbines.
Another country that offers top employment opportunities in the wind sector is Denmark. The country has been forging ahead since 1996 with some of the world’s best manufacturers of wind turbines and blades, such as Vestas and Siemens. The country’s official website indicates that in the past ten decades nearly 13,000 new job opportunities were created in Denmark’s wind power industry. In fact, nearly 1,900 new jobs were created in the sector in 2007 alone.
