Entire Class Of Wind Technicians Receive Job Offers In One Day

October 13th, 2014 by Joshua S Hill

The wind industry has seen an impressive surge in growth over the past few years, thanks to government support, increasing technological proficiency, and decreasing costs. The natural extension of this growth is the need for more and more employees to fill technical roles — a healthy problem, but a concern nonetheless.

But it means good job prospects for those intent on training into those jobs — as proven by recent news from the Canadian Valley Technology Center in Oklahoma.

According to The Oklahoman, the internet edition of The Daily Oklahoman, an entire class of students from the Canadian Valley’s wind energy technician certification program were offered jobs by Abilene-based Run Energy (seven were hired, while the eighth took a job in Lawton).

Surprising? Not really, according to Canadian Valley’s business and industry services director, Bill Hulsey.

“The bigger companies, a lot of times, will hire, if not all of the class, a large chunk of the class,” Hulsey said, adding that, given the region’s wind energy boom.

“All of [the students] got job offers of at least $17 per hour, plus benefits and other perks,” said Canadian Valley wind specialist Sean Hughes.

The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has an optimistic outlook for wind turbine technicians, according to their Occupational Outlook Handbook. Over the ten years spanning 2012-2022, the projected change in employment is expected to grow at 24% — over double the average employment growth rate (11%).

Given the industry’s expected growth patterns over the next few years, the success of such training classes is likely going to continue — the real issue being able to attract students, rather than provide graduating students with jobs.









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