Finnish Energy and Finnish Wind Power Association: wind power education needs to be promoted

Wind power provides work for many – today and in the future. But there’s still plenty to improve in the education sector. Finnish Wind Power Association and Finnish Energy have joined forces to promote pathways for wind power education concerning vocational schools. There is also a lot going on within counties in order to establish wind power training centers. 

”Wind power is growing fast and it’s role in the Finnish energy sector becomes more and more important. In the coming years, the industry will need many new talents to meet this demand. Green transition will need people to make it happen and the lack of workforce shouldn’t become a bottle neck”, says wind power specialist Annina Alasaari from Finnish Energy. 

The Finnish Wind Power Association is collaborating in several ways to promote pathways for wind power education. For example, the association has connected wind power companies with representatives of education institutes and municipalities that are in demand of wind power experts.

”We have created a network where a representative from wind power company is named as a contact person for a specific education centre. This makes it possible for education institutes and companies to contact and share information in both directions on what is going on within the education and what are the industry’s needs”, says Johanna Sula, Manager, Public Relations from the Finnish Wind Power Association.

There is especially a lack of wind power technicians. Their work includes service and maintenance of wind power sites, inspections of wind turbine components, repairs, electrical and mechanical work, customer service etc. The work is done in pairs and the profile includes working in heights but also working with computers and English language skills.

The wind power sector covers a wide range of different tasks from project planning to transportation, ecological assessments and a lot more so obviously there are several pathways to work within the industry even though exact degree is still missing. The Finnish Wind Power Association has produced several video and presentation materials to showcase jobs and career stories from the wind power industry. The materials are targeted especially to students graduating from elementary school or high school and for those who are still considering their where they wish to work within the future.

”We hope that schools, municipalities and companies wish to use the materials as the industry offers jobs for decades to come around Finland. There is a high demand for new talents in the industry and companies also offer apprenticeship contracts, summer jobs and good opportunities for doing one’s thesis”, says Sula.

For more information 

Finnish Energy, Wind Power Specialist Annina Alasaari, +358 50 574 8233 annina.alasaari@energia.fi

Finnish Wind Power Association, Manager, Public Relations, Johanna Sula, +358 40 770 0332 johanna.sula@tuulivoimayhdistys.fi

Material in English:

Video about the job of Service Technican