Wind Workforce Development

NREL's workforce development programs raise student awareness of career opportunities to meet the need for a highly skilled domestic workforce.

NREL helps industry, academia, and government organizations understand wind energy workforce needs and trends. Our hands-on, multidisciplinary programs and competitions help hundreds of students each year gain industry-relevant wind energy experience. From primary school through post-graduate research, our STEM-focused educational pathways support professional growth for the next generation of energy leaders.

Capabilities

Workforce Analysis

NREL collects data from industry, educational institutions, and the potential workforce using qualitative and quantitative methods, which can help the industry employ American workers in domestic jobs.

Capabilities include:

• Workforce needs assessments
• Economic impact and data analysis on workforce trends
• Occupation and skills mapping
• Education and training programs catalog
• Estimating potential job growth—technology and development approach.

Workforce Pathway Development

NREL develops and documents educational pathways that help students, transitioning professionals, and educators understand the skills needed to be successful in the energy workforce.

Capabilities include:

• Wind-focused educational activities
• Skills pathway development
• Stakeholder engagement around wind energy workforce needs, benefits, and challenges.

Workforce and Educational Program Development

NREL works with industry and academia to support the development and implementation of innovative, hands-on educational programs.

Capabilities include:

• Workforce program development
• Active student engagement
• Industry, academia, and student collaboration
• Prize and competition development and implementation.

Resources and Tools

U.S. Wind Education and Training Programs Map (Interactive Map Online)

Wind Workforce Safety Standards and Training Resource (WINDExchange Guide Online)

Wind Energy Workforce Development Best Practices Resource (WINDExchange Guide Online)

Wind Energy Workforce Manufacturing and Supply Chain Resource (WINDExchange Guide Online)

OpenEI Resources (U.S. Department of Energy Guides Online)

Explore all of NREL's wind energy facilities and data and tools.

Projects

Collegiate Wind Competition

The U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition allows college students to gain hands-on, interdisciplinary wind energy experience.

School Support

Along with KidWind and National Energy Education Development, NREL provides teachers with wind energy curricula, professional development, and challenges for students in 6–12 grades.

Academic Collaboration Academy

Researchers also support communication and collaboration among researchers, academia, and graduate students through the North American Wind Energy Academy.

Workforce Assessments

NREL conducted a nationwide study to examine how many workers and what kinds of jobs the workforce might need to support a U.S. offshore wind energy industry. It has also published the National Wind Workforce Assessment, Defining the Wind Energy Workforce Gap and Defining Wind Energy Experience, and The Wind Energy Workforce in the United States: Training, Hiring, and Future Needs.

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