Significance

• In 2008, wind energy was the second largest source of new power generation, behind natural gas.wind turbines 1 image by Graham Lumsden from Fotolia.com
  
  Demand in this field is expected to grow as the U.S. seeks cleaner forms of energy and certain tax breaks make wind energy competitive with fossil fuels. TSTC estimated in 2007 that the Lone Star State could see thousands of new turbines, which could create demand for hundreds of technicians, based, in part, on a turbine-to-tech ratio of 1 to 12.
  
  

Impact

• Community colleges and industry are struggling to meet demand for skilled workers.moulding cutter image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Wind energy grew at a whopping 39 percent per year between 2004 and 2009, according to the American Wind Energy Association. But it is still a relatively new field. Community Colleges have struggled to train enough graduates to enter the field, with programs offered in Texas, Iowa and other parts of the country. According to minutes of AWEA meetings, industry officials are also working to create a uniform body of knowledge that turbine technicians will need to know, and to spread the word in high schools about the availability of jobs in the field. The U.S. Department of Energy maintains a directory of schools offering training in the field at www.windpoweringamerica.gov/schools_training.asp
  
  

Working conditions

• Turbine workers should not fear heights.wind turbine image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "wind turbine technicians build or service individual turbines, help with the construction of entire wind farms." Turbine technicians can expect to work outside in windy conditions. Turbines are tall. Some exceed 300 feet. Workers should be comfortable with heights and be preared to work safely. Some workers may be exposed to situations in which they come close to high voltage. Some turbine technicians may work in factories that manufacture the machines.
  
  

Considerations

• Anecdotal government data underscores reports of good salaries.business graphs image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
  
  In a fall 2010 newsletter, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that it had yet to begin collecting official statistics on the earnings of turbine technicians. It did however note that anecdotal evidence suggested pay rates of approximately $15 per hour, with pay for very experienced candidates rising to $50 per hour.
  
  

Requirements

• Wind energy training programs are expected to teach student about hydraulics and electrical theory. They may be expected to perform repair or installation work on generators and motors. At the Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, students recieve hands-on instruction by working on turbines owned by the school.