A new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), National Wind Workforce Assessment: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Needs, estimates that by 2030, the demand for workers could reach 258,000, while the supply of full-time workers could only reach 134,000, resulting in a deficit of approximately 124,000 workers.

The report, funded by the US Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), builds upon a 2019 report published by NREL that identified the wind energy workforce gap, in which wind energy employers report difficulties in finding qualified applicants, while recent graduates and current workers report difficulties in finding open positions.

Groundbreaking model

Researchers at NREL have developed a novel systems dynamics model, leveraging mathematical techniques to represent complex issues such as the supply and demand of the wind energy workforce in the United States. This marks the first time such a model has been used to quantify the wind energy workforce gap.

The report also integrates data from a wind energy stakeholder survey (students, wind energy companies, wind energy employees, and education and training programs) designed to better understand current workforce challenges and identify factors that could help narrow the gap.

Similar to findings from NREL's previous research, the survey outlined a gap in the wind energy workforce characterized by a shortage of applicants with required experience or training and education, an inadequate number of job seekers, and job openings in geographical locations not preferred by job seekers.

How to reduce the gap

Despite the projected wind energy workforce shortage, the NREL report outlines strategies to bridge the gap:

• Raise awareness: Collaborate to offer relevant courses and promote wind energy job opportunities to students.
• Expand training: Establish internship and apprenticeship programs to provide technical skills.
• Create connections: Engage with future workers through programs like the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition.
• Emphasize inclusion: Partner with diversity-focused organizations to broaden access to wind energy careers.

The report is complemented by the following stakeholder-specific presentations for use in situations including: Educator Presentation to Students: Helps students gain insight into education and steps they can take to address the workforce gap; Industry Presentation to Students: Assists wind energy industry employers in understanding how they can address hiring challenges;  Current Worker Presentation to Industry: Aims to help employers gain insights into the wind energy workforce gap from an industry perspective and viable steps to address hiring challenges; and Connective Actions Presentation for Educational Institutions and Wind Industry Companies: Provides educators and industry employers with ideas to reduce the workforce gap by raising awareness about career opportunities among job seekers and mitigating hiring challenges.