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Wind Turbine Technician Training at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
This fall Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Virginia launched its new program to offering a Basic Wind Turbine Service Technology Certificate.
The Certificate requires the completion of 45 credits and includes general education courses as well as those technical courses specific to wind turbine operation and maintenance. This new program prepares individuals for career entry and advancement opportunities in the advanced technology applications of manufacturing and wind energy technologies. Students completing the program will become Wind Turbine Service Technicians skilled in the following: system installation, operation and maintenance needs of the wind energy industry, with capabilities to work in advanced manufacturing and other interdisciplinary technology-based jobs, as well.
Students interested in applying for this program will be assessed for mechanical aptitude, ability to climb and work at heights in excess of 100 feet, ability to work in enclosed spaces and lift 50 pounds (failure to meet these standards may disqualify the applicant from the program).
The wind industry is different than other industries in that individual employers may have specific job requirements (requirements aren’t necessarily consistent throughout the industry). Some technicians may work in manufacturing facilities, most technicians will work in the field and may be expected to carry out their duties at both on-shore and off-shore sites, in confined spaces in elevated locations, and sometimes under extreme environmental conditions.
Dabney is part of the Shenandoah Valley Energy Partnership, a partnership that was created as a result of funding through a close to $5 million grant award from the Department of Labor to provide training for jobs in the region's emerging "green" technology manufacturing and renewable energy industries. Blue Ridge Community College, Lord Fairfax Community College, and James Madison University are also part of the Shenandoah Valley Energy Partnership.
Learn more about Dabney’s Basic Wind Turbine Service Technology Certificate.