We believe #safety is a shared responsibility. We must collaborate across the industry to raise the bar, limiting risk for the growing number of field technicians that keep wind turbines online and energizing communities worldwide. “Our adoption of the Clean Power Institute's certification program strengthens our commitment to working safely every day, giving our teams the tools and knowledge they need to perform at their best,” said GE Vernova’s Shanon Lutomski.
Clean energy is growing. But the clean energy workforce isn’t keeping pace. Our colleagues at Clean Power Institute are working to figure out why—and how to change it. Recently, they set out to gain a deeper understanding of clean energy worker experiences by talking with workers themselves, starting with the construction sector. With support from IOF, they surveyed over 400 workers involved in clean energy construction projects, ran focus groups, and held one-on-one interviews to identify common concerns and aspirations. They learned many workers struggle with time away from family as they completed jobs in remote locations. Others noted the unpredictability of contract work led to issues around financial stability, personal financial management, and inconsistent access to healthcare. They also voiced clear interest in earning certifications—something CPI knows a thing or two about. IOF’s first grant to CPI supported the creation of a wind technician certification and associated training components. And earlier this year, GE Vernova—one of four major wind original equipment manufacturers in the U.S., operating with more than 2,000 wind techs and contractors—announced they would adopt CPI’s wind technician certification program. “Certifications like CPI’s Certified Clean Energy Professional Program help close the gap between technical training centers and real-world field capabilities,” Shanon Lutomski, a Wind Services Executive with GE Vernova, told IOF. “As the wind industry scales, standardization is key to limiting risk for the growing number of field technicians that keep our wind turbines online and energizing communities in the U.S. and worldwide." CPI sees this as an inflection point. They are building out a team to create certifications for more sectors, increasing overall quality, safety, and career stability across the industry. And they expect more than 10,000 clean energy workers to get some form of certification over the next three years. In the meantime, CPI is working across the industry to put lessons from their construction worker survey into action. They’re analyzing the different apprenticeship programs across industry, for example, to determine the feasibility of a common training foundation that would allow workers to retain hours from one job to the next. And they’re crafting some ideas for establishing continuity of healthcare and providing greater financial literacy support. We’re delighted to be partners in these critical efforts. Learn more about CPI here: https://lnkd.in/eYYCA2dP