Up to 10% of world wind workforce now trained to GWO standards

• 67,000+ technicians now have a valid GWO training certificate
• Certified technicians double outside European Union

New figures published today reveal that between 5-10%  of the world’s wind energy workforce^^ is now trained to Global Wind Organisation standards.

Numbers from the GWO database WINDA, show that technicians completed more GWO training in the first half of 2018 than the corresponding half year in 2017 and the total number of people now holding a valid GWO certificate has risen to 67,224, from 45,314 at the end of 2017.

“This is the strongest evidence yet that when large turbine manufacturers and owners endorse a standard like GWO, the wind energy supply chain will support them,” says Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation.  

Standards spreading beyond Europe

“Today, most of our members have standardized more than 30%** of their entry-level training programmes,” Jakob adds. “They no longer retrain GWO certified employees and can rely on an industry standard trained at over 250 sites around the world. In addition, more than 14,000 GWO training certificates were awarded to technicians born outside the European Union during the first half of this year. This is more than twice the number from the same period in 2017.”

Independent service providers (ISPs) have aligned themselves with GWO standards too.

“Employers in wind energy check the qualifications of technicians using the GWO database, WINDA. This system is completely open and our records show of the top 15 WINDA users, nine are ISPs,” adds Jakob. “This means the supply chain is working to a single, unified standard for basic safety and technical training. This reduces duplication, allows technicians to get on site for work more quickly and creates a safer and more productive workforce.”

Results from first half of 2018

There are now more than 250 GWO training providers in almost 40 countries. The first half of 2018 has been extremely busy for them.

Significantly more (+12%) technicians completed GWO Basic Safety Training (BST). They did more training (2.87 modules per person) than in the same period during 2017, which is reflected by the fact total modules completed rose even more (+14%).  

“We estimate more than 48,000 technicians will have been newly trained and certified during the 2018 calendar year,” adds Jakob.

Training provider top 15

The market for independent training providers has been highly competitive in H1 2018.

Falck Safety has risen to the number one spot, with 3M Fall Protection climbing from 11th to 3rd on the list.
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Notes on sources

^^Estimate based on International Renewable Energy Agency - 2018 total global Wind Energy Workforce 1.1m

**Source: GWO member survey 2018

GWO is a non-profit organisation of wind turbine owners and wind turbine manufacturers, committed to the creation and adoption of standardized safety training and emergency procedures. Independent training providers deliver GWO-certified training to delegates worldwide. See our interactive map of training providers. Training records are uploaded and stored in the GWO WINDA database, allowing members to verify training records quickly and easily, helping employers avoid unnecessary spending on re-training.

Media Contact Details

Ralph Savage – Head of Communication, Global Wind Organisation

rs@globalwindsafety.org (+45) 2529 1905