The wind industry will need to train over 480,000 people in the next five years, in line with Global Wind Organisation (GWO) standards, to meet worldwide demand for such power safely, states a report from the GWO and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

workers next to a sideways wind turbine at an installation site
Installation site of a wind turbine in France. (Photo by Philippe Huguen/AFP via Getty Images)

“Thousands of people work on the turbines that power our economies and protect our planet, and it is crucial we keep these people safe,” says Jakob Lau Holst, chief executive of the GWO. Safety training standards are the most effective way to do so, he adds.

Over 70% of the newly trained workers will come from 10 markets: Brazil, China, Japan, India, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the US and Vietnam.

308,000 individuals are expected to work in construction and maintenance of onshore wind projects, while 172,000 will be deployed to offshore wind.