General Information
There are many possibilities for training in the field of wind energy. However, there are very few training courses within the industry. As a rule, training is provided in the common training occupations. Later, it is possible to cover the wind-specific contents with an additional qualification (see further training).
Special Features in Wind Energy
The wind energy industry places a number of special demands on its employees. For example, when welding tower segments, the sheets are up to 10 cm thick and require special welding techniques. Laminating specialists bear a high responsibility in the production of rotor blades, as these have very high quality standards and an extremely low fault tolerance. This requires precise work and a fine instinct. In many areas of application it is also necessary for employees to have a certificate of suitability for heights and to have completed a special safety training course - the PPE training (Personal Protective Alignment). Service technicians are the classic candidates for these additional skills. These are often electronics technicians or mechanics/mechatronics technicians who have completed further training as service technicians. However, they often also have to be very flexible and mobile, because many wind farms throughout Germany, and in some cases also in Europe, have to be looked after, so that longer periods of absence from home have to be accepted.
Anyone who wants to work for offshore wind energy must also meet other requirements. On the one hand, there are many technical and organisational innovations here that need to be learned and understood, and on the other hand, a bit of adventure is needed for those who want to work offshore - i.e. at sea. In addition to altitude capability and PPE training, there is also offshore capability and a special offshore safety training with helicopter underwater exit (HUET). Many wind farms will be located more than 60 km off the coast, which means long trips by ship on the open sea (up to 4 hours). If you want to work after that, you shouldn't get seasick. In addition, these long journeys make it necessary for the employees to live on so-called supply platforms for longer periods of time because the routes are too large to be driven there and back every day, and theoretically they would have to turn around again immediately after arriving at the wind farm, since the work safety law normally does not allow longer working hours than 10 hours.
If there is a deadline pressure or the weather is too bad, the employees are sometimes taken by helicopter to the wind turbines or supply platforms or picked up from there. Therefore, the underwater exit training is mandatory and also the abseiling from the helicopter to the installations must be trained.
In rare cases, employees may also be stuck on a system for some time if weather conditions do not permit transport. But don't worry, that's taken care of on the emergency facilities.