Careers in the Wind Industry: Are they for me? Issue One- Engineering
2 Contents Page So what s it all about? Did you know? What jobs will there be? Jobs in Engineering What does engineering involve? People Like Me Puzzle Pages 3 4 5 6 7 8-9 10-11
3 So What s It All About? What do I need to know about the wind farm industry? The world needs more and more electricity and we need to find new ways to generate it. But why should you care? Imagine a world without electricity... There would be no... MP3 Players Internet or Facebook Mobile Phones TV Playstation or Xbox Or even lights! Could Wind Farms Help? To help us generate more power, there are plans to build a major wind energy development off the East Yorkshire Coast at Dogger Bank in the next few years. The Dogger Bank development will include up to 11 wind farms. The cables for at least two of those will come onshore near Ulrome and the substation will be at Creyke Beck, Cottingham.
Did You Know? There are loads of interesting facts about wind farms and Dogger Bank Dogger Bank will be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world! The biggest wind turbines could be 263 metres tall- that is twice the height of the London Eye! = X 2! At its deepest point, Dogger Bank is 35 metres below the sea-that is higher than seven double decker buses stacked on top of each other A single wind turbine blade weighs 25 tonnes- that is the same as four African elephants = X 4! It is estimated that 50,000 to 70,000 new jobs could be created from the development in the wind industry- Could one of them be yours?...
What Jobs Will There Be? There will be jobs for everybody in the wind farm industry, as all of the jobs need different skills and abilities. Many of the new jobs created in the wind industry will be in engineering. An engineer is a person who is trained in any type of engineering. There are a number of types of engineering, with electrical, mechanical and civil being the main types. There has been lots of information about careers for electrical and mechanical engineers, and also for maintenance engineers. However, you may have heard that wind industry apprentices usually need a grade C or above at GCSE in maths and English. There are still lots of jobs that you can do if you get D to G grades at GCSE or if you are taking other qualifications. These include: Engineering Maintenance Fitter Engineering Machinist Assembly Worker Warehouse Assistant Welder 5
Jobs in Engineering Here is a little bit more information about the types of engineering roles that you could apply for: Engineering Maintenance Fitter- They look after and repair machinery and equipment. Engineering Machinist- they make parts for machines and mostly work with metal. Assembly Worker- They work in factories and fit the parts of things together. Warehouse Assistant- They make sure that things are in the right place for when they are needed. Welder- They cut and join pieces of metal together. What Skills Do I Need to Have to Work in Engineering? For a career in engineering you need to be good at: Practical work (good with your hands) Fixing things Problem solving Being part of a team Following health and safety rules Taking careful measurements
What Does Engineering Involve? What Sort of Things Do Engineering Jobs Involve? Working as an engineer involves the following things: Follow technical instructions and plans Sometimes working weekends or evenings (overtime) Being on your feet a lot Bending and lifting Working in noisy places Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as ear plugs, safety boots and safety goggles How Can I Get in to a Career in Engineering? Apprenticeship- A range of colleges and training providers offer engineering apprenticeships. If you apply for an apprenticeship you will be asked to take an assessment test. Apprenticeships usually involve spending four days a week with your employer and one day with your training provider. Pre-Apprenticeship- Depending on your assessment test results, you may start on a Pre-Apprenticeship (Foundation Learning) first. This gives you time to also work on your Maths and English. Full Time College- You can go to college full-time and take an NVQ, BTEC diploma or city and guilds. 7
People Like Me There are people just like you already training up to become engineers and looking forward to new opportunities in the wind industry. Find out more about what they think here. Natalie started out on a beauty therapy course before choosing to do engineering. She said: There isn t that much call for beauty therapists but engineers will always be needed. This course has shown me that you can do anything if you try. Engineering is about being able to demonstrate what you can do. Engineering is for everyone. Danny is doing a level one course. He has done electrical, plumbing, welding, joinery and painting and decorating. The electrical part of the course is his favourite. When he finishes his course Danny is hoping to start an apprenticeship. He said: To succeed in engineering I think you have to be motivated and happy to get your hands dirty. You need to be committed and be willing to work on your English and Maths. Paul Robinson is an engineering tutor. He said: The things I look for in a trainee are good timekeeping, good attendance and enthusiasm. If a student shows commitment we can overcome other issues by working with them.
9 Callum is doing a level one course in engineering. He said: I didn t enjoy school apart from my engineering class. I like that engineering is really practical and it feels like there is more freedom at college. You need to be good at following instructions so you can get on with the tasks your tutor sets you. People Like Me Mikey wanted to do engineering because his Uncle is an engineer and his Dad is a mechanic. He said: I like the challenge of engineering because I think I am a practical person. I find using computers boring. I ve enjoyed the practical assignments like making a bottle opener, radius gauge, and a clamp. It s not about having A grades but you need the practical skills in the workshop to be a good engineer. Don Buckley is an engineering curriculum leader. He said: Good team working and the ability to use your own initiative are vital skills for working in engineering. We are looking to develop new courses for schools, focusing specially on the renewable energy sector soon.
Puzzle Pages Now that you have read all about the wind industry and engineering, why not have a go at these fun puzzles and see how much you have learnt. T O C R W B D G P S V U I H I L E E Y U O T R R N A S A L B L S C N D D I R O S T C U W T E G B N T S I I N O A N O S A G T T A Y S B X D T N S S O C A B L E I E L E C T R I C E O E N E R G Y F I G N Wordsearch Answers: Blade, Cable, Circuits, Design, Electric, Energy, Gearbox, Pylons, Substation, Turntable, Volts, Wind Word Scrambles- See if you can figure out which words are hidden 0 regodg kanb DiWn uetribn rwoep Stnaiot fof resoh mtigtchaon Sratm teerms LyPon yeitlricet slcaeb
Puzzle Pages Crossword- All the answers are in this magazine! 16T 2F 4 W 13A 8A 17E 15 M 14O 12 AA 1 9P 10F 3S 6B 11P 5C 18C Across Down 1. You need to wear earplugs because it is... 3. This is very important in an engineering environment 4. They cut and join pieces of metal 5. They offer full-time courses in engineering 9. Safety goggles, safety boots and earplugs are all... 10. You may spend a lot of time stood on these! 11. You may be asked to solve these 13. You will asked to take one of these if you apply for an apprenticeship 15. They work with metal and make parts for machines 18. Where to go for more information 2. A pre-apprenticeship is known as 4. Where things are stored 6. A type of qualification 7. Skills you need to be good at engineering 8. Fitting the parts of things together 10. They look after and repair machinery and equipment 12. You need a training provider and an employer to do this 14. You may be asked to work this 16. Working well with others 11
For more information, talk to your school careers advisor or visit your local Connexions centre. http://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk www.apprenticeships.org www.thinkpowersector.org.uk www.thecrownestate.co.uk This publication was created by Ashwell PRU as part of the Champions for Wind Initiative, funded by Offshore Wind Development Consortium- Forewind and co-ordinated by the Humberside Education Training Association (HETA). www.forewind.co.uk www.heta.co.uk