As the renewable industry continues to grow, 2019 ACT VET Teacher/ Trainer of the Year Ken Wilson said there are plenty of employment opportunities – and he is here to help students find them.
The Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) delivers courses accredited by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO). Ken provides students with a practical understanding of the risks they will face working in the Wind Energy Industry, ensuring they adhere to global safety standards and technical practices.
Due to the uptake of new technology, Ken said there is growing interest in the course with a 50% increase on numbers at the start of this year compared to 2018.
“It is reasonable to expect this will continue as renewables become a lot more standard delivery of power,” he said, while adding that renewables have a broad scope of opportunity for people with experience across all levels and interests – engineers, tradespeople, IT and cyber, health and sciences, construction.
Ken missed the ACT Training Awards ceremony as he was in the UK upgrading his GWO qualification and undertaking the GWO Sea Survival training certification through which he can deliver training on safety procedures for crews working on offshore wind turbines.
He said it is an important part of his job to stay on top of changes in technology and new safety requirements to be able to relay that information to his students.
“For me, the most challenging aspect of the GWO course is to make sure my students leave CIT with their thinking caps on so they can safely, calmly and quickly react to an emergency if it ever occurs,” Ken said.
According to Ken, t he recognition from the ACT Training Awards was “humbling”. “But I’m mindful in a lot of things I do, I work with an extremely talented team of professionals that are committed as well, and that makes my job easier”.
“I love teaching and making people aware of the opportunities that come from education.”
Ken is a finalist in the Australian Training Awards, which will take place in Brisbane on 21 November.
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