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On October 7th 2024, Jakob Lau Holst, was ready to unveil the new Global Wind Organisation ‘Workforce 2026’ strategy to a packed audience of 200 people from across our worldwide network. Originally planned as an in-depth, multi-day event featuring a series of workshops and collaborative sessions, the GWO Safety & Training Forum was set to provide a platform for sharing best practices, industry updates, and strategic initiatives. Unfortunately, safety alerts led to the GWO team and almost 80 guests who had arrived before the storm, thinking on their feet and making the best of their time in Florida.
Those 80 guests who had already arrived from as far afield as South Africa, New Zealand, Taiwan and of course the United States, took part in a condensed program, holding essential discussions and sessions to lay the groundwork for GWO’s new strategy.
In his address, Jakob introduced “Workforce 2026,” a strategy designed to “enable a safer energy transition as the globally leading through body for standardised training and workforce development”. He spoke about how the organisation’s role was defined in step with global commitments by more than 100 governments to triple renewable energy installation by 2030. He emphasized the need for a highly trained workforce and outlined GWO’s strategy to achieve this through four core objectives:
1. Lead in Workforce Development – With the global wind industry set to require over 250,000 new technicians in the next five years, demand for GWO-certified training will continue to rise. GWO aims to advocate for government recognition of industry standards and to incorporate public education programs into the wind workforce development framework. This translates into more opportunities for the training provider community to train the future workforce.
2. Strengthen the Supply of GWO Training in the Top 20 Markets – GWO intends to expand its presence in the most critical markets, supporting Training Providers in regions where renewable energy projects are most active. Strengthening these markets will provide more training access and align GWO’s services with the needs of the energy transition.
3. Drive Excellence in Quality – GWO is committed to setting the global benchmark for safety and technical training. In just a few years, at an average wind installation site more than 2 out of every 3 technicians will be a recruit: a new person, whose primary knowledge and competence to work safely will have been acquired recently at a GWO training center and during inductions by their employer. This is a strategic risk and needs to be addressed by duty holders.
4. Pursue a Role in the Solar PV Sector– the fast-growing solar industry also needs a trained workforce. In partnership with Global Solar Council, we have established the Solar Skills Initiative, that aims to expand GWO services into the solar sector. Holst encouraged the Training Provider community to join GWO in supporting this initiative and expanding into solar energy workforce development.
Jakob expressed his gratitude to the Training Provider community, whose commitment to quality and excellence will be key in creating a workforce capable of meeting the demands of the energy transition.
“Milton wasn’t invited today, but there were still 80 people joining us, and I think we have had the A-team here in Orlando. It was my pleasure to spend this time together with such an intrepid group. We made the best of a really challenging situation, which I’ll always remember.”
