Wind Turbine Service Technicians: Climbing to New Heights

In 2011, Oregon Employment Department research, interviews, and surveys were used to collect information on wind turbine technicians. Wind turbine service technician is the second of five occupations to being studied as a part of the Department's 2009 Green Jobs Labor Market Information Improvement Grant. Wind turbine technicians fit the definition of green jobs because the major focus of the job is repairing wind turbines that produce renewable energy.

Oregon adopted the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) 2010 definition of wind turbine service technicians, which states that they inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. They also perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions. The skill set of wind turbine technicians includes some advanced skills, but also includes general skills that can be learned in a classroom setting or transfer from previous work experience.

Employers repeatedly emphasized several skills needed for wind turbine technicians, such as following safety procedures when working with electrical components; the ability to repeatedly climb to significant heights, since most turbines are at least 200 feet from the ground; and the ability to work in a confined space. Wind turbine service technicians in Oregon do not need a specialized license in order to repair wind turbines, although having an electrician's license would provide an advantage when applying for a job or working in the field.

Read more about this occupation in the full article, written by Skills Analyst Brooke Jackson (503-947-1263 or Brooke.D.Jackson@state.or.us).