I’ve recently discovered that I’m very bored of my current career and I want to do something about it. There is next to no job satisfaction, I’m undervalued and feel completely unappreciated, not to mention the amount of BS I have to put up with!

Anyway, I work as a mechanical technician on aircraft and want to move into the renewable energy sector, maintaining wind turbines and such like. I’m just looking for some advice, first hand experiences, and anything else that’s useful to help me get a foot in the door.

Is it really as easy as sending my CV to companies advertising online, or is there a better way of finding vacancies?

Many thanks to anyone who can offer me any help 🙂

There is next to no job satisfaction, I’m undervalued and feel completely unappreciated, not to mention the amount of BS I have to put up with!

No first hand experience but welcome to the world of work 🙂 Job title and industry changes don’t always fix this

Edit. I did spend a chunk of my early years at work climbing chimney stacks to do testing etc, I got strong and fat on the travelling aspect, away from home for weeks at a time living in hotels. Was great for a bit but it’s hard work after a while. I’m guessing there are not enough wind turbines in one place to be based from home. Also have you seen the weather!

I’m gonna have a wild stab in the dark here, and guess your employer is HMG?

I think most work now offshore so you have to happy living on a boat away from home?
(don’t do this work myself but work for company which employs a fair few who do)

I certainly wouldnt say that most work offshore to be honest and very few actually live on a boat when working offshore as most of the UK farms are in pretty shallow water, Offshore techs tend to sail out each day and visit turbines that require visits and then sail back to shore again.
The guys who are offshore doing major component changes or commissions will be living out there on jacking vessels etc but most techs move about.
There are plenty opportunities and in renewable especial wind thats a certainty and there are plans to build 1000s more turbines.
As far as starting as a technician is concerned you will need some specific wind training, offshore access, turbine access and working at height yada yada but the majority of companies are providing this for their employees.
I think the majority of service technicians travel about the UK rather than being site based as you can find that some sites are weathered off for weeks and you will end up at the other end of the country.
What makes you think that wind will be any more satisfying than doing what you do now? I was a heavy industry maintenance tech for years, moved to automotive and hated that, moved to FMCG and didn’t get on with that. I now work for a major wind turbine manufacturer as a subject matter expert on certain turbine components, finally working mon-fri and finally enjoying my job, somethimes its a full role change you need not just an industry side step.
Where are you based in the UK andypandy85??

I’m currently working on a 40MW solar farm – 148,000 panels. Interesting it ain’t! But it’s work – might have some work available I’d you want it!

there have been previous threads on this here, should be able to find them in google. Certainly plenty of wind turbines about! Quite a few offshore which will probably earn you more, but won’t be anywhere near as many as predicted. Wave and tidal quietly dying, though some commercial tidal going ahead, won’t be many jobs.

Many thanks to anyone who can offer me any help

Move to Llandudno. Everyone I know in that area works on the turbines.

but won’t be anywhere near as many as predicted

Very true.

The recent drop in the oil price has now made offshore wind look even more expensive.

The drop in oil price may well have had the effect of making offshore wind look more expensive however the push for green energy world wide is still strong.

Wind technology is constantly evolving and im pretty sure as some sites reach the end of their serviceable life new more efficient turbines will be built in their place

I don’t think oil is used in electricity generation here, I don’t think oil price will have anything to do with it either and I’m sure it’ll be back up again soon anyway. There’s lots of physical and political things slowing down offshore renewables at the moment.

I don’t think you’ll ever be out of a job as a wind turbine spanner monkey anyway

Friend of mine is working on a large offshore project in Holland. To him it’s just a job and the project setup is more interesting than the maintenance side. I personally would be a bit nervous getting involved in a business so heavily dependent upon government subsidies, if they stop/slow down you are out of work.

@Jambalayal if everyone worried about different industries slowing down no one would ever take new jobs………i was in the aluminium industry for 10 years and was then lost my job due to carbon credits and the EU making it almost impossible for such an energy intensive process to be sustainable in the UK, that coupled with the fact the power station attached could make more more money selling to grid sealed its fate, unfortunately its just the way the world works,
Good thing for people like me/the op who have a trade/engineering skill set means when on door closes another opens, turbine techs have a massive range of skills that are transferable to other work so even if he did land a job in the renewable (wind) industry he could move on again.
Bigjim is right too, there are turbines everywhere and even if they stop building them they still have to be maintained by someone……

I personally would be a bit nervous getting involved in a business so heavily dependent upon government subsidies, if they stop/slow down you are out of work.

On the development side, yes, we’ve seen that here in the UK with the scottish government suddenly pulling funding for marine renewables development http://renews.biz/80273/aquamarine-to-shrink-business/, http://renews.biz/79732/wave-and-tidal-staring-into-abyss/

the existing wind farms aren’t going to suddenly be abandoned though.

Tim has covered most of it above. I work out of Barrow in Furness, and I love the job. Actually the only thing Mr Tiny horse incorrectly stated was about travelling. Most local techs stay local these days now that windfarm densities are fairly high, and in my case, one of the great parts of the job is all the time off we get with the bad weather 😉

If you can’t deal with the bullshit in aero what makes you think energy will be any better? Bullshit is everywhere, sad but true, the degree may differ (roughly proportional to company size and who they deal with ie. public or trade only) but the fact remains.

@andy_k of course you are correct, site techs are site techs but many contract companies move their techs about also……..would just depend who he ended up working for and where i suppose,