STL USA partnering with colleges

STL USA partnering with colleges has been a constant theme over the last 10 years of operations in the USA. On the back of this STL USA’s parent company has over 20 years of experience working with education providers, military leavers organizations, and other workforce organizations alongside commercial wind technician training. To partner with STL USA could not be more simple.

STL USA has made it a key part of its mission to play a central role in the workforce expansion required to meet the demands of the fast-growing renewable energy sector and working with education is central to this long-term strategy.

What is GWO?

The Global Wind Organization (GWO) was created to implement a set of standards across the industry, initially to improve safety and later to provide a framework for required skills. The GWO was created by its members who include GE, Vestas, Siemens, and a host of large national and multinational businesses. Suffice it to say it’s formed of a who’s who in the wind.

The standards created by GWO are then adapted into training courses which are the default for the wind industry. It’s not an exageration to say it’s very hard to even set foot on a wind farm with GWO certificates.

Why is it important for students?

There are two reasons, employability and salaries. Having GWO makes a prospective employee more attractive to employers and also translates to higher salaries. Put simply it gives new employees a clear advantage.

Other advantages

Once a facility is audited and approved anyone can train there. This opens up commercial opportunities for colleges to train local business customers.

 Programs with education follow a simple 4-step process that allows for a fast, low-cost roll-out.. These stages include:

COMPLIANT QUALITY MANAGEMENT SETUP

• QMS set up for partner site
• Compliance requirements

FACILITIES

• Audit existing facilities for GWO compliance
• Gap analysis
• Roadmap to Compliance

• WEEK 1-2 Course attendance and observation
• WEEK 3 Supported delivery
• WEEK 4 Observed course delivery

• Pre-Audit run through
• Independent GWO audit

STL USA has refined this process to ensure a fast, low-cost delivery that results in GWO accreditation within 6-8 weeks. Additionally, once audited the college can then take advantage of commercial training opportunities with local businesses.

Working with TSTC

The Texas State Technical College (TSTC) wind program is rightly considered one of the premier courses in the USA. The partnership between STL USA and TSTC dates back over 6 years. Initially developed to service local wind technicians, the program was then extended to students. Incorporating GWO into student studies ensures that graduates are in the best possible position to enter the job market. 

“Working with STL USA has allowed us to quickly integrate industry requirements into our undergraduate programs. Simply put this makes our graduates more employable. STL USA takes care of everything ensuring our faculty can get on with teaching. It’s been a pleasure working together.”

TSTC Wind program lead

As we move forward with renewables across the USA new legislation will fuel the sector’s growth. It’s anticipated that the clean energy sector will double in the next 10 years requiring an additional 250,000 people to fill roles. With this in mind, it’s essential that the commercial and education sectors come together to ensure the next generation of wind professionals are able to meet the demands of this fast-moving industry.

If you lead a wind program talk to us now about how STL USA can support the role out of a GWO program for your college.