Working At Heights

So, you have your GWO Working at Heights certification, what’s next?

The renewables energy sector is a fast-growing, innovative, and exciting industry with a wealth of opportunities and diverse careers paths to choose from. Now that you are certified in Working at Heights, you are equipped with the skills and knowledge to embark on your career in the wind industry. From working as a Wind Turbine Technician to Blade Repair Technician, the opportunities are endless.

Let’s find out a little bit more about each of the roles available to you.

First up, Wind Turbine Technician:

As a Wind Turbine Technician, you will be responsible for maintaining as well as repairing wind farm turbines. This will occur either at onshore or offshore wind farms. You will be involved in testing and repairs of mechanical and electrical equipment, monitoring its daily performance. You can expect to be working at height and in confined spaces daily, so if heights are not your thing, best to check out the other roles in the wind industry. Find out more about what to expect as a Wind Turbine Technician here.

Salary: £23,000 – £42,000

Blade Repair Technician:

Blade Repair is thought of as the riskiest job within the wind industry. Using rope access to drop down the necessary points on the blades to make the repairs. Blade Repair Technicians are responsible for repairing, maintaining, and inspecting the blades on wind turbines. While your GWO working at height training course will be used here, it is also worth noting that to become a Blade Repair Technician you will also need specific blade repair training.

Salary: £20,000 – £41,000

Jobs in the renewables sector vary from offshore to onshore, let’s take a look at both sectors more closely.

Offshore Wind:

Offshore wind farms are constructed in bodies of water, usually the ocean. The high-speed winds that occur in oceans means the farms can harvest large amounts wind to generate electricity.

Onshore Wind:

Onshore wind farms are the same as offshore with one difference, they are on land. For instance, they can be found in rural areas of land or close to the shore where wind speeds are higher.

Once you have gained your GWO Working At Height certification, the choice is yours whether you opt for a career in offshore or onshore wind.

In order to ensure the continued safety of workers in the wind industry, you will be required to renew your GWO certification every few years. The below modules need to be renewed every two years for your certification to remain valid.

• Basic Safety Training (which includes the 5 GWO modules: Working at Height and Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Sea Survival, Manual Handling and First Aid)
• Enhanced First Aid
• Advanced Rescue Training

The certificates for these modules must be renewed before the expiry date of your original certification. If you renew before the expiration date, you will only undergo a refresher course. However, if you allow the training to expire, each module will need to be taken in full again for your GWO training certification to be valid.

Now you have the knowledge of where your GWO training can take you. Why not kick start your career in wind today with Complete Training Solutions?

Browse the full GWO course catalogue here.

www.completetrainingsolutions.co.uk