C O L L E G E S & I N S T I T U T E S
S P E C I A L F E A T U R E
Northern Lights.indd 1 16-02-16 7:55 AM
According to the Canadian Wind Enery
Association (CanWEA),
wind enery is the
fastest-growing source of electricity in the
world, with Canada ranking seventh in the
world for total tted wind enery capacity.•
Despite the increasing role that wind
enery will be playing in B.C.'s enery sector
in the years to come there are very few insti-
tutions across the country that o-er train-
ing. In fact, Northern Lights College (
NLC)
is the only school in B.C. to o-er the Wind
Turbine Maintenance Technician program.
"We started our program in 2010 (at its
Dawson Creek Campus), and since then we
have seen the demand grow every year,"
says the college's Dean of Trades and
Apprenticeships, Mark Heartt.
NLC's Wind Turbine Maintenance Techni-
cian program is certied and recognized by
BZEE—a European-based certication body.
Upon completion,
NLC graduates can apply
to obtain their
BZEE certi†ication, which
allows them to work anywhere in the world.
This places
NLC students at the forefront of a
global alternative enery movement.
"As wind turbines age they need more
maintenance, therefore the demand for
trained technicians will continue to be
strong," adds Heartt.
During the intensive 40-week program,
students explore the theory supporting
wind turbines and the practical mainte-
nance procedures required to maintain
turbine output. In addition, they undergo
training on the college's 100-foot wind tur-
bine tower simulator, which helps students
to become accustomed to working at heights
of between 275 and 300 feet.
"We also train them on the descender. It's
an escape and rescue safety piece of equip-
ment used for emergencies, such as re or
other evacuation situations," Heartt explains,
adding the students graduate with their Level
1 electrical and millwright accreditations.
Because of the rapid growth of the wind
enery industry, there are also many tech-
nician jobs out there for new wind turbine
construction.•Currently, the province has
four operating wind farms, including the
Bear Mountain Wind project near Dawson
Creek and the Quality Wind project near
Tumbler Ridge.
"This is a great time to get into a bur-
geoning industry; one that pays well and
o-ers plenty of opportunities," says Heartt,
adding that because
NLC is on the border of
Alberta, the students are nding many job
prospects there as well.
Setting
the Bar
NLC's Wind Turbine
Maintenance program
is the †irst in B.C.
