When looking for a Wind Turbine Technician program, the most important thing you’ll want to make sure of is the institution’s emphasis on safety training. When you are trained appropriately to keep you and your future colleagues safe, success comes together.
Any wind turbine degree program or certification courses you come across will need to check the following requirements:
- Does it train you in outside/realistic elements?
- Is there a big focus on safety for yourself and your co-workers?
- Does it teach you how to assist your co-workers in a serious situation?
- Does it cover habits that will train your mind to be sharp, accurate, and professional for your safety and that of your co-workers?
- Is safety covered in tandem with electric, hydraulic, and mechanical skills?
- Do classes reinforce realistic work-life habits that are needed to maintain employment on a wind farm?
- Will the training institution help connect you to job employment opportunities upon graduation?
For your reference, here is just a sampling of three companies who frequently hire graduates from Northwest Renewable Energy Institute. These companies all put an emphasis on employing highly trained staff specifically addressing safety as a requirement.
Gemini
“Our Management team is responsible for ensuring that Gemini workplaces are safe from risks and hazards. By working with our business partners, our Managers work to provide our people with the resources they need to safely perform their work.
Our technicians come from a variety of backgrounds. Every technician is encouraged to actively look for hazards and bring up those concerns for immediate resolution. It is our goal to have each technician go home the same way they came to work each day – this takes commitment at all levels of the Organization.
Before ever going to the field, our technicians are trained to industry standards in key areas such as electrical safety, tower climbing and rescue, and CPR / First Aid. Gemini maintains an ongoing Personal Qualification Standard for each technician to ensure our technicians are some of the most qualified in the industry.
Whether we are working up tower in a wind turbine, at a solar facility, or on one of our many other Operations and Maintenance projects, making sure our technicians are given the tools they need to work safely is our priority. We have a commitment to our employees and all stakeholders in making sure that is the case.”
World Wind Solar
“Performing routine scheduled maintenance limits major component failure and increases availability. Proper maintenance will typically deliver a 50% savings on turbine repair costs.
Up-tower maintenance and repairs tend to present more danger and challenges as technicians will often be working near electrical, rotational, hydraulic and gravitational energies. This is why highly-skilled technicians trained in wind turbine repair and vertical safety are key.”
FIELD CORE
Sydney Baker, a field quality manager, at Field Core, another one of our employer connections keeps safety at the top of her list when going to job sites across North America.
“The first time I climbed up a wind tower was one of the most memorable moments. It’s not easy getting up there and I have total respect of our technicians who do it every day.”
Although it may sound fun, such work requires the utmost concentration and a safety-driven mindset. Everything should start and finish with the core tenet – safety. “What motivates me to work safely is my family, friends, people that I care about… making sure that I come home safe. Also, as a team member who is not on site day in and day out with the field teams, I think it’s crucial to show that you are aware of every standard, every aspect and try to set an example, especially when it comes to safety. From the moment I leave my house driving to the airport, all the way through climbing the tower, I always keep that top of mind.”
If you have any questions about Wind Turbine Technician safety and our program, contact us here and we would be glad to help you.