How to Become a Wind Energy Technician

There are a number of different ways to become a wind energy technician. As the wind energy industry has started to grow in recent years, so has the demand for qualified workers. A variety of schooling opportunities exist for those interested in working in wind energy. However, due to the newness of this profession, there are not enough trained technicians to fill the available positions. This means that the wind industry has had to provide industry specific training to newly hired workers. If you want to become a wind energy technician, read on to learn the different ways that you can secure a position in this growing field.

On the Job Training

Many employers in the wind energy industry will provide training to newly hired wind energy technicians. As a new hire, a person may spend a period of time as a trainee before becoming a technician. During the training period, a trainee will generally earn less than a fully trained technician. As the number of qualified technicians increase, the number of employers will to train new hires will also decrease. Job candidates with technical work experience or education may have the best opportunity to be hired without formal wind energy training.

Vocational / Technical Schools

Many vocation and technical schools provide short term training courses designed to teach students the basic skills to work as a wind energy technician. These programs of study generally last about one year, though some are significantly shorter. A student who graduates from a wind energy program at a vocational or technical school will earn a certificate upon completion of the program. Many vocational and technical schools work in partnership with local wind energy producers. These relationships can help a student to gain hands on work experience and improve the student's chances of acquiring a job in wind energy after completing the program of study. A perspective student should ask the school about any partnership and the rate at which graduates find work in the wind energy industry.

Colleges and Universities

Some colleges offer two year associate degree programs to train wind energy technicians. These programs of study are generally more in depth than those programs offered by vocation and technical schools. As with vocational and technical school programs, a prospective student should determine the school's placement rate for graduates in related occupations after graduation. Courses completed at a college or university as part of an associate degree program will generally count toward a bachelor's degree for those students who may later want to pursue a higher level of formal education.