Rapid growth in onshore and offshore wind capacity is generating huge demand for a skilled workforce, a new report reveals. New figures from Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) show that 569,000 technicians will be needed to build and maintain a global onshore and offshore wind fleet that will increase in size by 67% by 2026.
With the rapid growth of the wind energy capacity at the heart of the world’s plans to achieve net zero by 2050, it is vital that governments enact policies that support this expanding workforce. New capacity, modern grids, and a just transition all require a strong and sustainable workforce at their foundation. This skilled, modern workforce will be a great reward for countries advancing with their energy transition plans.
“There are enormous and transformative job creation opportunities brought by wind power to countries around the world and this report reminds us that for the industry to grow sustainably, a rapidly expanding workforce must be given the opportunity to work safely, with training according to industry best practice, so they can do their jobs with competence and live healthy lives,” said Ben Backwell, GWEC CEO.
Almost 30,000 new technicians are expected to join the global wind workforce every year. But the Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2022-2026 highlights an urgent need for faster growth in industry-standard safety and technical training capacity to meet the forecast gaps in worker supply.
With 119,000 wind technicians holding a valid industry-standard GWO training certificate by the end of 2021, the report demonstrates a substantial opportunity for up to 450,000 technicians to complete safety and technical training during the next five years.