Posted: February 21, 2019
The world largest rotor blade, the B75, is on the ground and ready to be assembled on the hub. Field testing the 154-meter rotor for the six-megawatt turbine is an exciting step in the development of competitive technologies for the large offshore wind farms of the future. Siemens incorporated the technological expertise gained over more than three decades into the development of both the gearless turbine and its 75-meter rotor blade. As the leading provider of apprenticeships in our region, North Lindsey College has an impressive track record of working, across a wide range of sectors, with employers to meet their apprenticeship needs including successfully operating the British Steel apprenticeship centre. The College, which is part of DN Colleges Group has buck the national trend with a 30% growth in apprenticeships while at the same time having Engineering achievement rates well above the national average Carl Robb, the Head of Operations Support for Siemens Gamesa says, “We are delighted to be working with North Lindsey College to deliver this apprenticeship training. In a dynamic industry, where innovation and technology can transform the sector in less time than it takes to complete an apprenticeship, it is crucial to work with organisations that can be just as agile and forward-thinking. North Lindsey College, and the wider DN Colleges Group, proved themselves to be the perfect partner able to deliver bespoke, highly focused and technical courses to Siemens Gamesa so that we, in turn, can supply clean energy for generations to come.” “We’re incredibly proud to be working with Siemen’s Gamesa,’ says Mick Lochran, Principal at the College. “It became apparent throughout the process that there is a real synergy between in our values and those of Siemens Gamesa, with both organisations being results orientated, innovative, customer focussed and valuing dynamic leadership and our people. The college, which competed against a number of providers for this prestigious national contract, will develop a customised programme with Siemens Gamesa that will provide high quality training for individuals from all over the UK applying for a place on the highly valued Siemens Gamesa wind turbine operations maintenance technician apprenticeship. The College is keen to point out the wider benefits of developing a partnership with such a forward-thinking company to students across the DN Colleges Group. Siemens Gamesa have donated a wind turbine Nacelle that will be used by students at our CATCH training facility and several of our engineering students in Scunthorpe have already visited the company’s site in Hull. Mick Lochran, Principal states ‘we recognise the potential of this partnership to not only help provide the workforce of the future for a key player in the renewables sector, but working with Siemens Gamesa will also help the college inspire the next generation of engineers across the region’.