Opportunities for Engineers Increase as Wind Energy Grows

As the demand for wind energy continues to grow, by 2028 more than 530,000 technicians will be needed to build and maintain onshore and offshore wind fleets globally. According to the Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2024-2028 report, the key to this number is that 40 percent of these roles will need to be filled by individuals new to the industry. 

The report was launched at the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) APAC Wind Energy Summit in Incheon, South Korea, which brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from across the globe. The discussion examined the future of wind energy and the workforce needed to meet ambitious renewable energy targets and found that if the pace of technicians entering the industry continues, there will be up to an 8 percent shortage of skilled wind technicians globally by 2028. 

Mechanical engineers will play a key role in the current and future demand for meeting wind power needs in the United States, said Laura Wilson, chief strategy office at American Clean Power. “Engineers play a significant role in the design criteria for sites and wind turbines,” she said. Engineers will focus on such items as improved reliability of assets and serviceability. And engineers are also looking at the work environment, such as ways to make the work done by wind technicians become less strenuous on the body.

Here we are

Back in 2023, new wind power installations surpassed the 100 GW milestone for the first time globally, the report said. Onshore wind reached 105.6 GW while offshore wind reached 10.8 GW. Because of these installations, global cumulative wind power capacity passed the 1 TW milestone in 2023, with year-on-year growth hitting 13 percent. Behind these figures lies an expanding workforce and their training needs.

The Global Wind Organization and GWEC published their latest report forecasting the numbers of wind technicians required to construct, install, operate, and maintain (C&I and O&M) the wind fleet over the next four years between 2024 and 2028 globally. The report outlines the very daunting task that includes policy needs along with workforce shortages and training needs.

It outlines where the current workforce stands compared to future needs and what gaps must be filled to meet those demands. According to GWEC Market Intelligence, annual wind capacity additions are projected to grow significantly from 131 GW in 2024 to 182 GW by 2028. By the end of 2028, total global operational wind capacity is expected to surpass 1,800 GW. In line with this growth, the total number of technicians needed is expected to exceed 532,400. 

The number working in the C&I segment is forecast to reach 307,790 by 2028, with 251,109 working onshore and 56,681 offshore. Similarly, the total number of O&M technicians is expected to increase to 224,623, including 205,123 onshore and 19,500 offshore. Comparing the total workforce in 2018, when offshore wind technicians made up only 10,639 (2.6 percent), demand has grown significantly. By 2028, the number of offshore technicians is forecast to be more than seven times that number, at 76,181 (14.3 percent), reflecting substantial growth in both absolute numbers and share of the total workforce.

“Many companies have different hiring practices with the inclusion of remote or hybrid working options, so location is not as limiting for the engineering roles,” Wilson said. “These roles may be best near company headquarters, airport locations, or near larger clusters of sites, should they be more field-related engineering roles.” For wind specifically, she said the opportunities may concentrate on Texas and the Midwest, which are larger hubs, and for offshore wind, the Gulf states and mid-Atlantic to New England.”

Once mechanical engineers take on leadership positions, it will be their responsibility to find and hire personnel to do the jobs in this industry. Wilson sees the greatest challenge for these leaders are finding, recruiting, and retaining skilled and competent workers with competitors. “There are some competing industries like datacenters, infrastructure, battery storage, nuclear, and EV charging infrastructure that will be seeking similar talent,” she said. “And some industries have more appealing locations, pay, or other aspects.”
 
For mechanical engineers there are other titles beyond leadership in such areas as operations and asset management. According to Wilson, the hottest title or skill set for MEs interested in pursuing a career in wind energy including the following titles: reliability engineer, structural engineer, engineering supervisor/manager, blade engineer, and turbine mechanical engineer. 

Cathy Cecere is membership content program manager.