- The world will need 532,000 new wind technicians by 2028 to meet the increasing demand for onshore and offshore wind, according to the Global Wind Workforce Outlook, a new report from the Global Wind Energy Council and Global Wind Organisation.
- The report examines ten countries in detail; Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United States of America. Training needs in these 10 countries constitute 73% of the total number of C&I and O&M technicians forecast to be working in the sector in 2028.
- The report finds that 40% of those roles will need to be filled by new entrants, highlighting the need for a resilient supply chain of skilled personnel to build and maintain wind fleets.
In 2023 the world saw global new wind power installations surpass the 100 GW milestone for the first time following the integration of 105.6 GW of onshore wind and 10.8 GW offshore wind capacity. Thanks to this record installations, global cumulative wind power capacity passed the 1 TW milestone in 2023, showing year on year growth of 13%. Behind these figures lies an expanding workforce and it is these extraordinary people and their training needs that remains the focus of this report.
To meet global wind power ambitions and ensure wind energy plays the role required for net zero and global renewables targets, it is vital governments and industry work to grow the workforce.
The next era of wind energy needs government to invest in vocational training and support international training standards. These steps play an important role supporting a just and equitable energy transition away from fossil fuels, while offering win-wins that advance socio-economic opportunities, ensure safety and supporting stable growth within the wind industry.
The report details nine steps policymakers can take to address help fulfil the mid-to-long-term workforce needs:
- Set workforce targets as part of the national energy policy to support wind or renewable energy installation targets.
- Introduce education courses based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for preparing students to become the entry level wind workforce.
- Investments and funding programs for workforce training, apprenticeships and upskilling to equip workers with the skills needed for wind and renewable energy jobs, especially offshore wind.
- Promote industrial policy and tendering criteria that foster wind installation growth through local jobs as much as possible.
- Facilitate the tailored retraining/reskilling pathways to promote transfer and upskilling of workers from carbon intensive industries to wind industry jobs.
- Promote diversity, equity and inclusion to resolve skill shortages by enhancing attraction and retention of workers to the industry.
- Make strategic policy improvement to address workforce imports, exports and dislocation.
- Set standards and penalty provisions for operational health and safety for onshore wind and offshore wind workforce.
- Embrace the advantages of global standards and workforce initiatives, blending them to meet local conditions.
South Africa
South Africa’s onshore wind construction ambitions are increasing annually, driving a steady rise in the demand for an onshore wind workforce. By 2028, it is estimated that 2,000 to 2,500 technicians will be needed each year to support the growing capacity and expansion of onshore wind projects across the country. This upward trend reflects the country’s commitment to scaling up renewable energy infrastructure. By the end of 2023, five GWO-certified training centres were in operation in South Africa with 1660 GWO-trained people in 2023, up from 275 in 2018.
Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, said: “As the global wind energy sector continues to grow, particularly in new markets, it is crucial that the growing wind workforce is equipped with the right training and tools to meet the increasing demand. Deployment must be accelerated to meet net zero and global renewable targets, meaning it is vital that government and industry work together to build a workforce capable of delivering onshore and offshore wind.
“The nine steps outlined in this report provide a roadmap for action that can help turn ambitions into projects on the ground. GWEC is working with global, regional and national stakeholders to ensure wind energy fulfils its role in the energy transition. Building a strong workforce capable of supporting a scaled-up industry is key to that potential being fulfilled.”
