A Guide to Becoming a Wind Turbine Technician

If you are interested in becoming a wind turbine technician, I have both bad and good news for you.  The good news is that this career field is growing rapidly and it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to find a job (particularly in certain states where wind turbine facilities are being developed).  The bad news is that substantial training is required in order for you to fully understand all of the various aspects that are involved with this technology in addition to having the ability to carry out the tasks safely that are associated with the position of wind turbine technician.

However, there is more good news for you: a majority of wind turbine technicians get trained partially while on the job.  What that means is that employers who need technicians immediately, acknowledge that substantial training is required by the field and are willing to provide qualified job applicants with training.  A majority of new technicians won’t be fully trained while working on the job.  However, it isn’t always completely necessary to have a four-year or master’s degree in order to start working in this rapidly growing field.

Training For Wind Turbine Technicians

The first step to take if you want to become a wind turbine technician is enrolling in a two-year associate’s degree program in the applied sciences.  Be sure that the program you choose is oriented towards providing wind turbine technicians with training, and that you attend a community college with a good reputation that has well-trained teachers with knowledge of the field.  At this time, not all community colleges offer this kind of program.  However, all over the country programs are rapidly expanding.

A wind turbine technology two-year program will provide an introductory understanding and basic fundamentals of the technology that backs wind turbines.  The basic skills that are needed for keeping up with routine maintenance for wind turbines is also taught.  The best programs also cover wind economics so that students have a complete understanding of the way that wind turbines function, and how they can so effectively produce green energy.

Basic safety skills will also be taught by a good program so that wind turbines can be worked on safely.  You will obtain further safety knowledge while on the job, given that there will be some differences that vary depending on the kind of facility you work at and where you happen to be employed. This blog from RWE goes into what is required in the UK.

Mechanical Abilities

It is important to have excellent mechanical abilities if you want to pursue a wind turbine technician career.  If you are good with working with your hands or are experienced with auto mechanics or any other kinds of fields where making repairs or assembling mechanical equipment is required, then you might be very well suited to a wind turbine technician position.  It isn’t a prerequisite to have mechanical abilities to enter into a training program or obtain a job.  However, in order to become well-trained within this field they are essential.

Throughout your training program, building a wind turbine out of its basic parts is something that you will learn how to do.  That is how you will learn all of a turbine’s mechanical parts and fully understand how it works.  That is the kind of foundation of knowledge that is necessary for fixing turbine problems while on the job. In addition, it is the start to learning all of the maintenance duties that are required.

Job Availability

Before enrolling in a training program for the field, you should do some research first.  You need to determine if the field has a sufficient number of jobs in the area where you live currently, or you may need to relocate to get a job.  Although it is a rapidly growing field and a majority of states do have at least some operating wind turbines, some states have much more activity within the industry compared to others.  As the technology continues to be used by more companies, more job opportunities will be opening up for entry-level technicians.

If you discover that your local area or state that you are interested in relocating to does have good wind turbine technician opportunities, then look for a good training program that offers an associate degree for wind turbine technicians within the applied sciences area.  You can start to search for jobs after you complete your first year of training, due to the fact that applicants will be considered by many companies even when they are still in school.  There are many other employers that will require that your basic training be completed before they will hire you.  However, while you are still in school, it certainly doesn’t hurt to watch for any opportunities that may come up.