Introducing onsite GWO training

We’re pleased to announce STL USA as the first GWO training provider to offer onsite training services in the USA.

 

 

Onsite training allows us to increase the flexibility of STL USA’s GWO training solutions. The solution is very simple, STL can now certify a client site for training purposes and then train technicians directly on the equipment they maintain.

The USA is a big country and whilst it has some of the best training facilities in the world it can be logistically challenging to send technicians across country for training, especially when it takes them away from their vital work. Onsite is therefore the perfect training option for smaller teams and technicians working in areas a long way from training centres. Subject to an initial risk assesment and certification which can happen a few days before or on the day training starts if we don’t encounter any surprises, both first time trainees on GWO and technicians refreshing their accreditations can be trained.

The ability to train directly on the equipment used everyday provides trainees with an an “in-country” knowledge of safety applications tailored to their specific environment. However as with all our GWO training courses this doesn’t mean they are only accredited to work on their own turbines the accreditation is universal.

Running an onsite course couldn’t be easier:

  • STL trainers come to your site
  • STL completes a full risk assessment with the customer to ensure candidate and trainer safety to complete the works on site and ensuring GWO standards are met.
  • STL issues the relevant accreditation certificates subject to successfully passing the course

Courses last the same amount of time as those run at STL’s training centers with the following Basic Safety Training modules on offer:

  • Working at Height
  • Fire Awareness
  • Manual Handling
  • First Aid onsite

If you’d like to talk to us about how we can “come to you” to run GWO training get in touch via the link below:

October GWO training dates

We have a a full program of October GWO training dates coming up. Modules are taking place at STL USA’s training locations in Iowa and Texas. See below for the full breakdown of courses available and get in touch if you’d like more information or to book.

 

Basic Safety Training

Iowa October

GWO Working at Height

October 14th and 15th

GWO First Aid

October 16th and 17th

GWO Fire Awareness

October 18th and 24th

GWO Manual Handling

October 18th and 24th

GWO Working at Height Refresher

October 22nd

GWO First Aid Refresher

October 23rd

Texas October

GWO Working at Height

October 14th and 15th

GWO First Aid

October 16th and 17th

GWO Fire Awareness

October 3rd and 18th

GWO Manual Handling

October 3rd and 18th

GWO Working at Height Refresher

October 1st

GWO First Aid Refresher

October 2nd

 

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Updates to GWO training standards

GWO training standards are regularly updated. The most recent took place on July 1st this year. We explore what this means for technicians seeking accreditation and those renewing.

 

GWO standards are continually improving ensuring that all modules are at the cutting edge of safety and process. With a recent update taking place on the 1st of July this year we thought it was a great opportunity to explore what this means from a trainer and technician perspective and how this might affect your GWO training and accreditations.

 

What’s changed?

GWO training standards are frequently updated. Both BST and BTT have recently been updated, moving from version 11 and version 4 respectively to 12 and 5. Training providers, that’s us, can continue to use the old standard for a 3 month grace period, which ended on July the 1st this year, at which point delivery needs to move to the new version.

 

How does this affect technicians?

It’s important to know whether your training provider is delivering the correct standard. Outside of the grace period accreditations to obsolete standards with be considered non-compliant and this affects your ability to work at GWO accredited locations. As the grace, or handover, period has now finished all courses should be delivered to BST v12 or BTT v5.

 

Is STL compliant?

In a word, yes. It’s of paramount importance to STL USA that we are delivering training to the correct training standard and are completely compliant with the GWO in respect of this.

 

When is the next round of updates?

GWO regularly review and update the training standards with the next round scheduled for the second half of 2020 and first half of 2021. We’ll ensure to keep you  informed of developments via the website and social media.

 

Should I worry about compliance?

As we’ve mentioned it’s important to verify if you’re trainer is delivering the correct version of the BST or BTT. You can be assured that this is the case with STL USA courses but we can’t speak for other providers. If in doubt or if you have questions please reach out to us and we can hopefully help.

 

Book a GWO training course

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American Wind Week

This week is American Wind Week, an opportunity to celebrate wind energy and demonstrate how wind energy works for all Americans.

The AWEA (American Wind Energy Association) hosted the inaugural “American Wind Week” in 2017 in celebration of wind power emerging as America’s No. 1 source of renewable energy. This quickly became an annual event where wind companies and supporters host a wide variety of events around the country to show how wind works for all Americans.

Each year in August, elected officials will visit wind farms and factories across the country to show their support. It’s an initiative that STL USA is 100% behind without a wind industry we wouldn’t have anyone to provide GWO training to!

 

Some of the great stories from American Wind Week

New York celebrates Wind Week

 

 

New jobs encourage young New Mexicans to stay in the state

 

There’s a ton of news over on the AWEA’s news feed just follow the link here.

 

The key themes of American Wind Week 2019

Each day through wind week we’ve been focusing on a different aspect of wind energy. We’ve covered wind’s contribution to rural communities, job creation, jobs for ex service men and woman and the reduction in carbon emissions. Head over to our social to see more.

Wind week is a brilliant initiative by the AWEA and we hope to be a part of it for years to come.

 

September, October and November GWO training course dates

We’ve just released GWO training course dates for both Texas and Iowa training centers. there’s a comprehensive program for the next 3 months.

If you’re interested in booking a GWO training course or have any questions regarding availability and course content just follow the link at the bottom of this page.

Course dates by center:

 

Iowa

GWO training center Iowa

September

GWO Working at Height 

September 9th and 10th

GWO First Aid

September 11th and 12th

GWO Fire Awareness

September 13th, 19th and 26th

GWO Manual Handling

September 13th

GWO Working at Height Refresher

September 24th

GWO First Aid Refresher

September 25th

October

GWO Working at Height

October 14th and 15th

GWO First Aid

October 16th and 17th

GWO Fire Awareness

October 18th and 24th

GWO Manual Handling

October 18th and 24th

GWO Working at Height Refresher

October 22nd

GWO First Aid Refresher

October 23rd

November

GWO Working at Height

November 11th and 12th

GWO First Aid

November 13th and 14th

GWO Fire Awareness

November 15th and 21st

GWO Manual Handling

November 15th and 21st

GWO Working at Height Refresher

November 19th

GWO First Aid Refresher

November 21st

 

Texas

GWO training center Texas

September

GWO Working at Height 

September 9th and 10th

GWO First Aid

September 11th and 12th

GWO Fire Awareness

September 13th, 19th and 26th

GWO Manual Handling

September 13th

GWO Working at Height Refresher

September 17th and 24th

GWO First Aid Refresher

September 18th and 25th

October

GWO Working at Height

October 14th and 15th

GWO First Aid

October 16th and 17th

GWO Fire Awareness

October 3rd and 18th

GWO Manual Handling

October 3rd and 18th

GWO Working at Height Refresher

October 1st

GWO First Aid Refresher

October 2nd

November

GWO Working at Height

November 18th and 129th

GWO First Aid

November 20th and 21st

GWO Fire Awareness

November 7th, 14th and 22nd

GWO Manual Handling

November 7th, 14th and 22nd

GWO Working at Height Refresher

November 5th and 12th

GWO First Aid Refresher

November 6th and 13th

 

If you would like to book a training course follow the link below and we’d be delighted to talk through your requirements.

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2019 Wind Energy review, so far..

2019 has already been a huge year for wind energy so we thought we’d look back on some of the big developments so far and those still to come.

2019 has gone so quickly, with so many major developments taking place it feels like we’ve had a full year already and it’s only July! This week’s blog looks at the major sector developments and looks ahead to what’s to come in the sector for the rest of the year. As a GWO trainer we’re well placed to see what is really happening in the sector from an infrastructure and employment perspective and one thing is for certain that wind energy continues to grow, fast.

2019 a year for firsts

Wind energy generated more electricity than coal for the first time this year. April saw wind surpass coal for the first time ever and indications suggest that this will only accelerate the decline in the coal industry. As it becomes ever cheaper to generate power via renewables less profitable fossil fuels are surely on the way out. Much of this demand has been driven by states, cities and corporations commiting to clean energy despite the national backdrop.

New projects show no sign of slowing

Big wind farm news has been coming through at regular intervals. So far this year we have seen the Vinyard offshore farm, Ocean wind off the coast of Atlantic City and two major projects off the Long Island coast announced. This comes against a backdrop of numerous new onshore farms being awarded contracts. The sector is moving fast as the USA catches up with the rest of the world.

Corporates and cities leading the way

Major cities like Dallas and Chicago have made bold commitments to renewable energy. In both cases they have set targets to use 100% clean energy. Despite a national backdrop at odds with renewable energy these are just two examples of cities, states and municipalities taking action into their own hands where energy is concerned.

Corporates are also doing their bit. There is a clear drive towards clean energy as corporates look to secure their energy needs now and in the future. Well known organisations like Facebook have made a clear commitment to wind energy creating hundreds of jobs in the process with other well know organisations following such as AT&T and Google. These companies have set impressive targets and on the face of it it’s great PR but there’s more to it than that. These companies know that renewable costs are steadily reducing vs. increasingly expensive fossil fules. They also know companies who take an active role in managing their energy efficiency perform better over the long term.

STL USA’s year so far

It’s been a super busy year so far at STL USA. 2019 is on course to be a record year for students trained and accredited with GWO qualifications. We’ve attended some great industry events particularly AWEA’s conference in San Diego and we hope to make more friends in the industry over the next months and years.

What’s in store at STL USA

The rest of 2019 is about cementing STL USA’s place as the leading provider of GWO training solutions in the USA. We’re actively recruiting for new trainers and we hope to have secured an additional world class training facility by year end.

 

 

STL USA are taking course bookings for August & September GWO training, click below to find out more

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Why a career in wind energy could be a smart move?

It’s hard to avoid the constant good news stories in wind energy. This week we look at why a career in wind energy could be a smart move.

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing job sectors in the USA. Wind energy output recently surpassed coal in the USA and the jobs market is booming. Renewables jobs also come with high wages. Virtually all wind farms and turbine operators are GWO members and we see first hand from demand for our GWO training courses that the sector is growing fast. Creating stable and high-wage employment for blue-collar workers in some of the country’s most fossil fuel-heavy states, just as the coal industry is poised for another downturn.

Simple economics are are driving both sides of this equation:

Building new sources of renewable energy is cheaper than running existing coal plants and prices get cheaper every year. By 2025, virtually every existing coal plant in the US will cost more to operate and run than building replacement wind and solar within 35 miles of each plant.

On the demand side states are pushing hard to set 100% clean energy goals, creating new demand for workers to build wind turbines and other renewable sources. Planning for the inevitable shift from coal-to-clean is creating economic opportunities in every corner of the country – and some forward-thinking policymakers are already heeding this lesson.

Fast-growing renewable energy jobs offer higher wages

The renewable energy sector has become a major U.S. employer. E2’s recent Clean Jobs America report found nearly 3.3 million Americans working in clean energy – outnumbering fossil fuel workers by 3-to-1. 111,000 work in the wind industry with triple that in solar, compared to 211,000 working in coal mining or other fossil fuel extraction. Renewable energy employment grew 3.6% in 2018, adding 110,000 net new jobs (4.2% of all jobs added nationally in 2018), and employers expect 6% job growth in 2019.

E2 reports the fastest-growing jobs across 12 states were in clean energy during 2018, and renewable energy is already the fastest-growing source of new U.S. electricity generation, leading the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to forecast America’s two fastest-growing jobs through 2026 will be solar installer (105% growth) and wind technician (96% growth).

Green jobs grow in red states

But the best aspect of renewable energy job growth is that it doesn’t matter how states voted in the last election. The American Wind Energy Association identifies wind farms and manufacturing facilities in all 50 states and 69% of congressional districts (78% of GOP districts, 62% of Democratic districts) paying more than $1 billion in state/local taxes and landowner leases, and supporting 24,000 manufacturing or supply chain jobs across 42 states.

The future’s looking bright

Fundamentally the future is certain. At least certain in the fact that fossil fuels will run out over time and will become increasingly expensive as we head towards that point. The simple economics are already pushing in favour of renewables and the reality is that this will be the key driver of growth. Texas is a great example of this, the quintessential oil state is now a leader in wind energy. Regardless of political views money talks and the Texans are a smart bunch they go where the profits are.

So who are we to argue, of course we have a vested interest but all things considered a career in wind energy is a smart move.

 

STL USA are currently recruiting for new Course Instructors, click the link below to view the job spec.

 

We’re hiring! Want to become a GWO trainer?

Want to become a GWO trainer? We have a great opportunity to join the USA’s fastest growing industry, wind energy.

STL USA are recruiting for new GWO trainers as demand for GWO training courses increases. the wind energy sector in the USA is one of the fastest growing markets with double digit job creation happening yearly. Growth is being driven by cities, states and corporations committing to clean energy, fuelling the boom we are at the center of. There’s no better time to become a GWO trainer.

GWO, Global Wind Organisation, is the industry body responsible for setting common safety standards for technicians in the wind energy sector. Created by its members the GWO have two main safety standards which STL train. The Basic Safety Standard and Basic Technical Standard. Course content covers all aspects of safety for onshore and offshore turbines as well as regular refreshers.

STL deliver training from two main hubs, Texas and Iowa. The facilities at each are world class with extensive climbing systems and turbine mock-ups to practice training.

As a course instructor, you will be delivering GWO and other courses to wind energy technicians at Safety Technology USA’s main training locations in Texas and Iowa as well as remotely onsite with clients.

Friendly and outgoing you will lead training courses of small groups of students. Instructing them on the key safety elements required for them to gain GWO accreditation.

Working with the course delivery teams in the USA and at our UK head office you will deliver training courses to the latest standards.

The following qualifications would be desirable

  • SPRAT or IRATA Level 2
  • OSHA 10 / OSHA 30
  • NFPA Fire Fighter Qual
  • Ergonomics/Material Handling Certified

As would previous teaching experience (military, safety training, climbing or mountaineering). Strong Verbal and written communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Outlook

It’s really important that you can travel as this role requires lots within the USA.

Please forward a full CV along with availability to interview/ start and salary expectations for immediate feedback and a confidential chat.

 

info@safetytechnologyusa.com

Latest Texas and Iowa GWO training courses

We’ve just released the latest Texas and Iowa GWO training courses. Dates below.

 

Iowa

GWO training center Iowa

 

GWO Basic Safety Training 

Week commencing July 29th 2019, week commencing August 5th 2019

GWO Basic Safety Training refresher

August 12th – 14th 2019

 

Texas

GWO training center Texas

 

GWO Basic Safety Training 

Week commencing July 1st 2019, week commencing August 19th 2019

GWO Basic Safety Training refresher

July 9th to 11th, July 16th to 18th, July 23rd to 25th , July 30th to August 1st, August 27th – 29th

 

Get in touch to book a course:

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Texas the Wind Energy state.

When you think of energy wind isn’t the first source that springs to mind when you say Texas. But given Texas’ is the leading state in wind energy so we thought we’d explore in more detail.

 

Texas produces the most wind power of any US state, it’s also home to one of our premier GWO training centers. In 2017, 16% of electricity generated was from wind. Texas has over 40 projects the largest of which is the Roscoe wind farm others include the Hollow Wind Energy Center, Sherbino WInd Farm and the Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm.

Texas is well positioned for a thriving wind sector, west and southern areas benefit from strong predictable winds especially during the day when consumption is at its highest. This is heavily reflected in the jobs market. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sectors in the USA and a large percentage of those jobs are in Texas. In fact Texas has become somewhat of a mecca for people looking for the steady paycheck that wind energy can provide. There are an estimate 230,000+ jobs in clean energy as a sector (solar, wind, energy efficiency) and an estimated 10,000+ jobs were created in 2018 alone.

Put into context if Texas were a country it would be the sixth largest wind energy producer in the world, the bulk of which is generated in Nolan county. At peak output wind energy has contributed as much as 50% of the states power needs although this normally sits around the 15% mark. It’s these kind of figures that show just what an important role Texas has to play.

It’s not just the turbines themselves that have contributed to job creation it’s the supply chain businesses that are cropping up as part of the wider ecosystem that will continue the growth. From blade manufacturers and components manufacturers through to companies recycling older parts and turning them into building panels the entire sector is awash with opportunity.

Texas’ position as the nation’s wind energy jobs leader is also driving changes in education with many technical and four-year colleges now offering degrees and certificates related to the wind industry.  These include turbine service technicians, wind energy project managers, engineers and operations managers.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas employs 1,440 wind turbine service technicians, with the average technician making approximately $53,650 annually.

It’s also good news for consumers who enjoy lower costs with the growth of this energy industry with residential power rates approximately 10 percent lower than the national average and industrial power rates approximately 20 percent lower than the national average.

As the leading state for wind energy Texas is the perfect place for our GWO training facility. Located in Sweetwater the center is a modern, state of the art training facility. For more information and to book a training course click the link below:

 

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Linking to Texas training centres, focussing on Texas as the leading state for wind energy in the USA.