GWO Safety & Training Awards Winners Unveiled in Paris

GWO has announced the winners of the Safety & Training Awards 2026, recognising exceptional instructors and training teams whose commitment to excellence in training delivery is helping to advance safety across the global wind industry.

The winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony which closed Day 1 of the Forum 2026, bringing together Training Providers, thought leaders and safety professionals from around the world to share knowledge, discuss new developments in the renewables industry and celebrate achievements in safety and training.

A Record Year for Global Nominations  

With 4,000 nominations hailing from 24 countries, this year’s Awards attracted the strongest and most diverse competition to date.  

While evaluating entries within this new nomination format, the judging panel also took into consideration the offering that training centres are providing, the number of standards they are delivering and the number of training records that they currently have, all of which give a holistic picture of their performance.

Instructor of the Year Winners 2026  

The Instructor of the Year Award recognises trainers who demonstrate outstanding commitment to developing the skills, knowledge and overall competence of technicians working across the wind industry.  

In 2026, five outstanding instructors were recognised across GWO’s global regions.  

Asia Pacific

• Winner:  Yi-Chin (Hellen) Lu, Taiwan International Windpower Training Corporation Ltd. (TIWTC) – Taiwan

Latin America  

In the Latin America region, the instructor nominations were of such outstanding quality that the judges independently gave them the same evaluation. As a result, we decided that both deserved to be recognised. The winners are:  

• Winner: Lenin David Miranda Vazquez  
• Winner: Thiago Almeida

North America  

• Winner: Michael Sullivan  

Europe, Middle East & Africa Winner

• Winner: Uzusiphe Njengabantu

Training Team of the Year Winners 2026  

The Training Team of the Year 2026 award spotlights training teams whose dedication to outstanding training delivery helps raise the bar of safety.

In 2026, four regional winners were recognised alongside four highly commended teams.  

Asia Pacific  

• Winner: Taiwan International Windpower Training Corporation Ltd. (TIWTC) – Taiwan
• Highly Commended for Contribution to Community and Industry: Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MTIC by MIRDC) – Taiwan  

Latin America  

• Winner: Maersk Training – Brazil

• Highly Commended for Continuous Improvement: SALVACON – Mexico  

North America  

• TAKKION – USA

• Highly Commended for Continuous Improvement: Safety Technology USA – USA  

Europe, Middle East & Africa  

• SP-Wind – South Africa  
• Highly Commended for Equipment and Facilities: European Wind Academy – Poland

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Congratulations to all the winners and the highly commended teams of the GWO Safety & Training Awards 2026. Their commitment to raising the bar of training is helping to shape the future of a safer, more skilled workforce.

As we look ahead to the 2026-2027 edition, follow Awards-related updates on the GWO Safety & Training Awards website.