Vancouver's International Air and Hospitality Academy will offer a new training division for wind energy technicians, potentially as early as July.
The Northwest Renewable Energy Institute will provide a six-month course in wind turbine technology as a division of the current academy, said Chairman Arch Miller.
Creation of the school means about 20 new jobs in Vancouver and the potential for nearly 500 workforce-ready graduates each year. Entry-level technicians can earn between $36,000 and $68,000 annually, Miller said.
"(It's) clearly a family wage job," Miller said. "The manufacturers and the developers who own wind farms are telling us that they're having a terribly hard time finding qualified people."
The institute will be the first privately owned and operated school of its kind, according to the institute, and its curriculum was formed based on needs of manufacturers and developers, Miller said.
Setting up the institute is a significant financial investment – in the seven figures – but Miller said it is worth the cost because there has been a huge national investment in wind turbines that is matched with a shortage of technicians.
"Plus, there is a lot of unemployment out there, and we think those unemployed people are ideal for these kinds of jobs."
Last year, the wind energy industry installed about 42 percent of the new electric-generating capacity and created a net 35,000 jobs, primarily in construction and manufacturing, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
The new school will operate at 200 Grand Blvd in Vancouver, just north of Grand Central, and will accept up to 40 students each month with capacity for 240 students at a time. Program tuition will likely cost between $10,000 and $11,000, and school director candidates are interviewing this week, Miller said.
