Last year, 3,200 new wind turbines were installed across the U.S. in a push for more green energy, bringing the total number of towers to more than 25,000. An even greater increase is expected for the current year. with towers going up at a rate of about 10 per day.
The rule of thumb is that a two-person operation and maintenance team are needed for every 10 turbines, which means the wind power industry will need hundreds, if not thousands, of new skilled employees each year, as it attempts to reach 20% of the nations electricity mix–as suggested by the Department of Energy.
Community colleges in the wind belt region, stretching from the Dakotas to Texas, are beginning to step up to the challenge of training students to fill these positions, and in doing so, they are creating reputations for themselves.
The challenge for these schools is keeping students in classes long enough to receive their degrees–as many of them are receiving numerous job offers before they even receive their degrees.
Read the full Associated Press report.
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