(SWEETWATER, Texas) – A representative from an independent service provider for wind, solar and energy storage solutions said Texas State Technical College graduates are a good fit for the company.
Andy Hall, a technician development lead for Sky Climber Renewables’ Tech One Program (TOP), recently spoke to Electromechanical Technology and Wind Energy Technology students during an employer spotlight at TSTC.
“TSTC wind students have a good chance to get into our TOP training,” Hall said. “They are a much stronger candidate because they went through the program at TSTC.”
According to Sky Climber Renewables’ website, skyclimber-re.com, TOP is a wind technician career program, built in partnership between Vestas Americas and Sky Climber Renewables.
Students in attendance showed interest in the program, which is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from basic training, TOP technicians begin a nine- to 12-month project assignment at a specific Vestas wind project, usually within close proximity to a candidate’s residence, the website stated.
“If you apply for TOP and get accepted, you will have a better chance of getting on with Vestas and negotiate better pay, especially if you have the training from our program and through TSTC,” Hall said.
When asked about possible layoffs, Hall said that it has happened in the past, but he reassured students about job stability.
“The wind industry has outlasted everything we have passed by,” he said. “From the housing crash and market crash to the pandemic, the wind industry has made it through. Layoffs are not as common now because there are so many different jobs available for our services.”
Hall said Sky Climber Renewables is currently working at sites in New Mexico and at offshore facilities on the east coast.
“This is a good time to get into the wind industry,” he said. “There is currently a lot of construction going on in Texas. We are going to need technicians in Texas year-round.”
According to onetonline.org, the need for wind turbine service technicians in Texas was forecast to increase 102% from 2020 to 2030. The average annual salary for a technician in Texas is $59,290, according to the website.
TSTC’s Wind Energy Technology program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion at the Harlingen and Sweetwater locations.
Registration for TSTC’s spring semester begins Oct. 28. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.
