By Staff
KALAMAZOO – When Kalamazoo Valley Community College became the first in the nation to establish a training center for technicians who will work on utility-sized turbines clustered on wind farms, it brought Michigan a step closer to becoming the Midwest manufacturing mecca for this form of alternative energy.
That's the belief of James DeHaven, vice president for economic and business development at KVCC.
Beginning in October, the college's Wind Energy Center will launch a 26-week training academy, based on skill standards established in Germany, for technicians to gain entry-level employment working on the giants of the wind-energy industry.
Ever since the non-credit academy initiative was announced in late February, response and inquiries have been "phenomenal," according to Cindy Buckley, executive director of training at the college's Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC).
Because of the national exposure, some 430 people in just about every state of the union – including one from Great Britain who learned of the training opportunity through a Reuters dispatch – inquired about gaining entry in the inaugural academy. The fee is $12,000.
"I don't see this as simply training wind technicians to travel to the far corners of the earth to apply their skills," DeHaven said.
"With its manufacturing workforce and infrastructure, Michigan is poised to become a major player in the wind-energy industry.
"It is a complex road to travel involving all kinds of cooperation and collaboration," DeHaven said, "but Michigan must seize this moment to maximize its potential for wind-energy production, and to encourage OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) to produce component parts and assemble the turbines right here in Michigan."
Weaning the large field of applicants down to a class of 15 will be "highly competitive," Buckley said.
The first step is to complete the written application, which may be downloaded at this Web site – www.kvcc.edu/training.
These applications can be mailed or faxed to the M-TEC, or dropped off personally.
An algebra test is also part of the screening process, along with the results of a medical examination and documented work experience in technical fields.
Early on in the application process, the applicants will be screened for an ability to work in tight quarters and whether they are capable of working at great heights.
"We have received many inquiries from people who are excited about renewable forms of energy," Buckley said, "and from technical workers who are in a career-transition mode because of layoffs and downsizing. All seem to share an excitement the technology and the prospects of traveling around the world."
"Companies are already calling us to find out how they can meet our graduates," DeHaven said, "and we haven't even begun to train them yet."
That's because the wind-energy industry is growing rapidly around the world. Between 1,500 and 2,400 new technicians are needed annually to support this increase.
A recently published study by the U. S. Department of Energy identified the feasibility and potential rewards the United States would gain by pursuing the goal to generate 20 percent of the nation's energy through wind by the year 2030.