International trade association the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and nonprofit industry body the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) have signed a new two-year agreement to map out workforce training needs.

This is being done in an effort to support the development of renewable energy by helping meet the demand for skilled workers who are needed to fill an increasing number of jobs that will be being created during the global energy transition.

GWEC announced the signing of the new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GWO on April 11. Under the terms of the MoU, the two organisations will be able to leverage shared resources, including unique datasets, as well as analytical and forecasting capabilities, which GWEC believed would provide valuable insights to all wind industry stakeholders.

GWEC CEO Ben Backwell said the wind energy industry had already created 1.2-million jobs worldwide according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and that this number would continue to grow as demand for wind energy increased apace with the global energy transition.

“We want to help the market answer challenging questions about where jobs will be needed most to meet demand and outline what training will be required to develop a workforce that is knowledgeable and sustainable . . . This collaboration is the first step in helping to produce a coherent roadmap for wind energy jobs in the future global energy system, helping emerging markets to benefit from high-quality local job creation to contribute to a thriving green economy,” Backwell said.

GWO CEO Jakob Lau Holst added that the GWO’s Wind Industry Database contained the most comprehensive set of workforce training information globally. He explained that more than 122 000 people were now trained to GWO standards at centres in nearly 50 countries.

“To support demand in new markets, the industry needs insight, forecasting and analysis . . . Our partnership with GWEC [will] help make this a reality, matching workforce needs for training and delivering a powerful proposition for investors, policymakers, [original-equipment manufacturers] and other stakeholders,” he said.

The next output of the collaboration will result in GWO and GWEC producing their third yearly report on job creation and workforce training needs in global offshore wind markets. The report will be released in the third quarter.