Green energy: where the jobs are
Image courtesy of brentdanley / Flickr
Lindsey Paluso, Field Resource Coordinator for Vestas, asks this question of job applicants: can you climb a 300-foot wind turbine? Vestas and other wind power companies are hiring anyone who can climb a tower.
The energy company will pay their wind turbine maintenance staff $17-$32 per hour, plus per diems. The field is growing quickly at a time when unemployment in the greater US economy is at a level of 6%. With ten new towers going up each day, Vestas needs about 100 new employees in the coming months.
Energy prices are transforming the industry, and the expansion is considerable. Since it is a new industry, finding candidates with the skills in place is difficult. Many of the hires are former military, and others possess solid mechanical skills in need of additional industry-specific training.
"The Takeaway" is PRI’s new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.
More at thetakeaway.org
PRI’s coverage of economic security is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and its Campaign for American Workders.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!