KVCC Wind Power Tech Training Draws Huge Interest

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 Wemployment 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.
 
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 manufacturers) 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, and we haven"t even begun to train them yet," De Haven said.  

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 United States 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.  This speaks to employment opportunities as well.

The KVCC Wind Turbine Technician Academy is certified by Bildungszentrum fur Erneuerebare Energien (BZEE).  Its English equivalent is "Renewable Energy Education Center."

"This utility-grade training under the BZEE certification will be the first by any college or university in the United States," DeHaven said.

"The unique training model," he said, "allows graduates to earn two career credentials.  Participants will complete the classroom content associated with pre-employment, electrician-apprenticeship programs, along with wind-turbine-technician competencies.

"The last three weeks," DeHaven said, "will be spent in a practicum experience on a wind farm as a requirement for the wind-turbine-technician certification."
 
Located in Husam, Germany, and founded in 2000, BZEE was created and supported by major wind-turbine manufacturers, component makers, and enterprises that provide operation and maintenance services. As wind-energy production increased throughout Europe, the need for high-quality, industry-driven standards emerged.
 
BZEE has become the leading trainer for wind-turbine technicians across Europe.  "Graduates of the new academy," DeHaven said, "will have the opportunity to earn individual certification through the BZEE and become a part of an international labor pool."

To position itself to become the first college in the United States to obtain BZEE certification credentials, KVCC hired two instructors - one a mechanical specialist and the other an electronics specialist - to travel to Germany for six weeks of training in Husam this spring. 

Tom Sutton, who had been serving as an instructional manager in the KVCC Automotive Academy, switched over to be the wind-energy academy's mechanical instructor while Greg Meeuwsen, a graduate of the KVCC program in electrical technology, will serve as the electrical instructor. 

DeHaven reported that U. S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) and U. S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) are championing a request for a $2.5 million federal grant that would allow KVCC to purchase additional training equipment.  That would allow the academy to double up on training sessions and increase the number of graduates each year.