2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Distributed Wind (DW) industry is facing a critical shortage of qualified workers to support installations which will serve the growing energy needs of the USA. This project addressed this workforce gap by designing curriculum tailored to meet the unique needs of the DW industry. Research was performed to better understand this workforce gap by engaging with stakeholders, investigating education and training pathways, and reviewing expected qualifications and characteristics of workers. From these studies, the scope of this project was narrowed to focus specifically on Wind Turbine Technicians (“Windtechs”) and proposed curriculum designs that will increase awareness of and improve preparation for these roles in DW. Four learning modules were designed to address challenges related to location, awareness, and skills, but one gap was deemed outside the scope of this project: the unique benefits of working in DW compared to other industries. The first learning module is a site visit with a DW Wind Tech with a focus on a ‘day in the life’ experience. The second learning module is a DW career playbook made publicly available online for any user to discover career pathways in the wind industry. The third and fourth modules are simulation-based online activities, one focused on task completion and the other on stakeholder interactions to provide realistic challenges for training purposes. This gap analysis, curriculum design, and the proposed learning modules are presented in this paper. The proposed modules offer flexible and accessible solutions to address a growing need in the USA focused on energy resiliency and workforce development. Further development and stakeholder feedback, especially from two-year colleges and industry partners, is needed prior to full deployment and publication of the modules. Following the presentation, attendees will be invited to provide feedback on the gaps analysis and proposed learning modules toward future publication. This project was supported by the Visiting Faculty Program through the Department of Energy and completed in partnership with researchers and a working group at Pacific Northwest National Lab.