Kan. wind energy classes can't keep up with demand

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CONCORDIA, Kan. (AP) -- The only wind energy program in Kansas is struggling to keep up with demand for turbine technicians.

Cloud County Community College in Concordia has seen many of its students get jobs before completing the Wind Energy Technology program, which uses hands-on training rather than textbooks. It's one of 30 such wind energy programs in the country.

Two years ago, when the college offered its first wind energy classes, four students enrolled. This fall, the school will have 110 students in the program and a waiting list of 50.

"What we are trying to do is train people and rapidly because they are putting up more turbines than we can supply workers for," said instructor Lucas Chavey, one of three teachers in the program.

With a number wind farms either built or planned across the country, Chavey said demand for skilled technicians far outpaces the number of students receiving training. The wind farms industry projected 1,300 new turbine technicians would be needed, but schools across the country can provide about 300.

He said the job demand is so high that companies are spending their own money and time training technicians.

"If you have done wind technician training, you are almost guaranteed to find a job. The demand is so strong out there," said Christine Real de Azua, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association.

Students at Cloud County Community College must climb turbines several hundred feet high, wearing a 15-pound harness. They then move on to learning how the wind turbine's electric, hydraulic and mechanical system works.

While the school has labs in its classrooms, this year the program will have access to three wind turbines to help with training.

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Information from: Lawrence Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com