WINDA Turns 10: A Decade of Trusted Training Records

Since its launch in October 2016, WINDA has helped bring greater transparency, consistency and accessibility to Training Records across the global wind industry, having grown in step with the increasing demand for wind energy.  

By providing a reliable record of completed training, WINDA has connected thousands of technicians, Training Providers and employers around the world and played a vital role in supporting workforce competence by giving employers confidence in the training their teams have completed.

And as we celebrate this milestone, we remember that behind every training record is a person that represents GWO’s core purpose: supporting a competent workforce and helping every technician return home safely.

Ten years of growth

The foundations of WINDA can be traced back to 2009, when industry leaders gathered in Esbjerg, Denmark, and agreed to recognise each other's safety training through a common standard. Known as the Esbjerg Consensus, this shared commitment paved the way for WINDA, and what was initially a platform for registering GWO training has since grown to support a more connected and competent workforce.

Over the past decade, more than 3.4 million training records have been uploaded to WINDA, representing over 408,000 individual Course Participants from 230 nationalities.

The platform is now used at approximately 650 training centres across 56 countries, reflecting the growing international reach of GWO training standards and the industry's commitment to a common approach to safety training.

The scale of this growth is particularly evident when comparing WINDA's early years with today. In its first year, approximately 108,000 training records were uploaded. In the past year alone, that number reached more than 623,000 – a 5.7-fold increase. Over the same period, GWO's portfolio has expanded from just two training standards, Basic Safety Training (BST) and Basic Technical Training (BTT), to 14, reflecting the growing demand for standardised training across the industry.

And WINDA will continue to grow and evolve. Since 2025, WINDA has also supported solar training records, following the introduction of the Global Solar Training Standards, co-developed with Global Solar Council (GSC). This marks a new chapter for the platform as GWO expands its work to support workforce competence across both wind and solar energy.

Supporting a safer, more connected industry

Behind every Training Record in WINDA is a technician - someone building the skills and knowledge needed to work safely and to return home safely to the people who matter most.

For training participants, WINDA is more than a record of training. It is a training history that travels with them, giving them the confidence to take their skills wherever their careers lead, across projects, employers and borders.

For Training Providers, it offers a simple, consistent way to register completed training and recognise the skills gained, while giving employers a trusted source for verifying training records that helps them build competent teams equipped to work safely.

In an industry where people regularly move between countries, projects and teams, this shared approach matters. It helps create a workforce that is not only mobile, but connected by a common commitment to safety.

Today, WINDA remains an important part of GWO's work to support a skilled and safety-conscious workforce, providing the infrastructure needed to maintain reliable training records across a growing global network.

Looking ahead to the next decade

As the wind and solar industries continue to expand, the need for accessible, reliable and internationally recognised training records remains as important as ever.

Reflecting on the milestone, Jakob Lau Holst, CEO, GWO said:

Ten years of WINDA is a milestone worth celebrating. What started as a way to record  training has become an important part of how our industry builds and maintains a competent workforce. It's a testament to the commitment of Training Providers, employers and technicians around the world, all working towards a shared goal of making wind and solar energy a safer place to work.

The 10-year anniversary is also an opportunity to recognise the Training Providers, employers, participants and industry partners who have contributed to WINDA's development and success.

As WINDA enters its second decade, GWO remains committed to strengthening the systems that support a competent, safe and growing global energy workforce. Because ultimately, WINDA is about more than keeping track of training. It's about supporting the competence of the people who power renewable energy, giving them and their employers confidence in their training, and contributing to a shared goal: ensuring everyone returns home safely at the end of the working day.

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