The GWWO reveals that over 574,000 technicians will be required by 2027. With almost 43% of these being new talent to the industry, the need for entry level safety and technical training is growing rapidly.
The latest Global Wind Workforce Outlook (GWWO) 2023-2027 was released by Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) on October 11, 2023. The report details the massive growth in numbers of wind technicians required to meet forecast construction, installation, operation, and maintenance (C&I and O&M) of the world’s wind fleet up to 2027.
The GWWO reveals that over 574,000 technicians will be required, with almost 43% of these being new talent to the industry. In addition to the 84,600 technicians needed against the backdrop of increasing demand for wind power, employers will need to recruit 159,200 more people to compensate for normal rates of technician attrition expected in the wind industry between 2023 to 2027. The need to recruit the extra 243,800 new technicians over the next five years suggests a raft of exciting opportunities for new talent to enter from full-time education and to transition from other sectors.
The Outlook also details onshore and offshore wind growth and workforce needs in 10 countries in particular: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Japan, Kenya, South Korea and the USA. The high wind power ambitions of these countries must be reinforced by a strong culture of health and safety and a well trained workforce.
Workforce development is top of mind for policymakers, industry associations and employers. The GWO/GWEC Global Wind Workforce Outlook demonstrates not just how many people will be needed for the forecast installation and maintenance of the world’s wind fleet but emphasises how many of these will be new arrivals to the sector. This underlines the need for a renewed focus on entry level skills that match the needs of employers and complements the existing capabilities people bring from other sectors and education systems. Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation
THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION, AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE GLOBAL WIND FLEET?
By the end of 2027, the worldwide wind fleet will be roughly 1,581GW, more than double the level before the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the number of wind technicians that will require industry training will increase 17% from 489,600 in 2022 to 574,200 in 2027. The number of new wind technicians is expected to increase by 48,800 on average per year from 2023 to 2027.
WHAT IS THE GAP BETWEEN CURRENT LEVELS OF GWO TRAINING AVAILABLE AND THE LEVELS REQUIRED TO TRAIN THE FORECASTED WORKFORCE?
At the end of 2022, 145,000 technicians (or 30% of the estimated workforce) already held at least one valid certificate from GWO’s Basic Safety Training (BST) Standard. This means that from 2023 to 2027 an additional 429,200 technicians will need wind industry training. More than 80% of these technicians will be required in 10 countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Japan, Kenya, South Korea and USA.
WHERE ARE THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS AND TRAINING PROVIDERS TO ENHANCE WIND WORKFORCE SAFETY VIA GWO TRAINING?
Total wind technician workforce will grow most rapidly offshore (79% higher in 2027 against 2022) compared to onshore (12% higher in 2027 against 2022). By 2027, 87% of the technicians will be working onshore, mostly (and increasingly) within the operation & management segment.
DOES THIS FORECAST ENCOMPASS ALL WORKFORCE NEEDS IN THE WIND SECTOR?
The model used for this annual Outlook focuses on the construction, installation (C&I), operation and maintenance (O&M) segments of wind farms. It does not include calculations of workforce needs in other segments of the project lifecycle, such as research and development, procurement, manufacturing (the most labour-intensive segment in certain markets), transport and logistics, decommissioning and repowering, etc.
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