The wind technician qualifications are finally on the very near horizon in Australia. The industry has seen the need and started to be fully engaged, and EEOz, the electrotechnolgy skills council, have come to the party and is developing units and qualifications.
A framework for the qualifications has been developed and is shown below.
The proposed framework would consist of a series of graduated certificates commencing with a Certificate II schools/pre-apprenticeship stream and a traineeship with the aim of encouraging prospective employees into the industry. These qualifications will be generic to the power generation industry, with core subjects covering safety and basic work skills, and elective options such as working safely at heights, first aid, and working in confined space.
The Certificate III courses are existing electrical and mechanical trades certificates consistent with the current level of training most wind technicians already have but which can be tailored with elective subjects that will be aligned to wind industry competency requirements.
It is envisioned that the Certificate III in Electrical Fitting will provide the most appropriate apprenticeship qualification for the wind industry and this will reduce the need for external placements (required currently by some trades to complete qualification).
The Certificate IV course would comprise of wind industry specific competency units, which mostly have been drafted but yet to receive industry sign off
Each level is able to be entered directly with recognition of prior learning for existing skills (ie trade qualification).
It looks as if the Certificate II and III courses will be endorsed and part of the Electricity Generation Training package in the next few months, while a working group has been established with good industry representation, to finalise the competency units to go into the Certificate IV.
