GWO and JWPA sign groundbreaking MOU on Human Resource development for Japanese wind energy

Japan's national wind energy association has signed an agreement with the industry's leading workforce training standards body, to describe recommended training for wind technicians.

The Japanese Wind Power Association, and Global Wind Organisation, have agreed terms in a Memorandum of Understanding co-signed at the recent Global Offshore Wind Summit in Kitakyushu. Together, they will produce a document authored and published by JWPA in association with GWO. The guideline document will describe entry level wind technician knowledge, skills ,and abilities and how GWO is one of the means available to acquire that knowledge and skill.

The two non-profit associations will commence joint work on the project with analysis of how current GWO training standards meet the needs of wind technicians working in Japan both onshore and offshore.

A task force of training and safety specialists convened by JWPA will then collaborate with GWO project managers to develop the guidelines, which will be prepared in English and Japanese translations.

Hitoshi Katayama, Director of JWPA, explained: "With a declining labour force and rapid changes in life styles, needs and services, coupled with ambitious carbon neutrality goals, Japan needs a paradigm shift in the way it attracts, trains and retains its precious workforce. Graduates and professionals who look to make a career change from analogous industries need clear educational pathways that train entry level wind workers while recognising their existing skills. We see this collaboration with GWO as a necessary step forward to help us reach our goals."

The agreement comes shortly after a similar project was completed by The American Clean Power Association (ACP) in collaboration with GWO. Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation, added: "We are delighted to have reached this agreement with JWPA. The industry in Japan relies on the leadership and direction of its national association to support growth, particularly in offshore wind, and we are ready to support them in this obligation by clarifying how entry level wind technicians can be trained to meet the needs of employers."

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About the Japanese Wind Power Association

JWPA is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote and advance the wind power industry in Japan, boasting the largest membership of any wind power organization in the country, comprising over 500companies and organizations. Its mission is stated as follows: “Through the growth and expansion of wind power, we aim to deliver a safe and stable life to people and realise a sustainable society. To realise a decarbonized society, we will bring together the knowledge, experience, and consensus of various fields to lead the maximum introduction and operation of wind power. We will responsibly implement measures and policies necessary for the utilization of wind energy from a long-term and national perspective, without being biased toward the short -term interests of individual companies or industries.”

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About GWO

GWO is a non-profit group of wind turbine owners and wind turbine manufacturers, committed to the creation and adoption of standardised safety training and emergency procedures.

Independent training providers deliver GWO-certified training to technicians and students worldwide. For more information on GWO standards, visit this page.

Training records are created when a GWO standard course is passed and completed by a participant. These records are uploaded to the GWO WINDA database.

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GWO member companies

Acciona, Avangrid, CGN Wind Power, Copenhagen Offshore Partners, CRRC, Dominion Energy, ENERCON, ENGIE, Envision, Equinor, Eurus Energy, GE Renewable Energy, Goldwind, Iberdrola, The Nordex Group, Northland Power, Ocean Winds, Ørsted, RWE Renewables, Shanghai Electric, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, SSE, Vattenfall and Vestas.

All photos and graphics copyright Global Wind Organisation

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