Innovating digital wind training

Innovating digital wind training

Looking ahead to STL USA's digital training developments

2023 will see the launch of a number of new digital services from STL USA as we innovate digital wind training.

STL USA Digital takes a holistic view of the training landscape particularly where digital training is concerned.. What this means in practice is that digital is designed to enhance and augment, not replace because there are certain training exercises you can only do in the real world.

Stage 1

We want to start simple, the wind industry is slowly moving into more digital oriented training but many prefer the face to face approach, in fact for many of our core training courses face to face is a requirement. That’s why we’ll be initially going live with an enhanced booking solution that will allow users to create accounts,  assign and book their technicians onto courses and track outcomes, download certificates and manage the whole process.

This will quickly be followed by theory modules from our most popular GWO courses. These will initially be taken live online with an option to take a fully digital course added as we gain more feedback from our customers.

The key benefit – A sped-up booking and logistics process followed by a reduction in face-to-face time saving money on travel and expenses.

 

Stage 2

This will see us add further digital-only content with the addition of VR augmented courses maximizing the aspects of each course that can be taught remotely. As our customers build out their technician profiles they will also be able to add third-party certification. We will build on the various APIs that will integrate with the system and provide a simple, scannable method for technicians and their employers to share information on certification.
 
The key benefit – A range of digital courses that build on and enhance existing face-to-face training and a streamlined process for logging and sharing technician accreditations.

 

Stage 3

It’s vitally important to STL USA that we play our role in developing a workforce capable of supporting the growth in wind over the coming years. That’s why the end game in digital is not about simply selling more of what we’re great at. As our training system evolves we will add additional partner content, much of which will be free to access for technicians looking to develop their knowledge and skills. And that’s what we believe a true digital resource should be, technician focussed with valuable resources that help everyone.

Watch this space!

 

Get ahead of the queue

Get in touch and book a walk through of the system with one of STL USAs customer team

GWO and Education

GWO and education

GWO and education - technical colleges and training providers working together

We recently took part in a panel discussion at a Cleanpower event, The future workforce. It brought together representatives from the sector including GWO training provider STL USA, GWO, and Texas State Technical College. It was a great opportunity for industry and education to come together and talk about how we will staff the wind sector in the coming years.

But, it also highlighted a key problem, industry and education are not aligned right now and they need to be. Many of the qualifications and certifications required by technicians are not taught in schools but they could be, easily.

Technical colleges in the USA have a responsibility to provide their students with high-quality education that prepares them for successful careers in their chosen fields. In the rapidly-growing wind energy industry, this means ensuring that students have the necessary knowledge and skills to work safely and effectively. One way that technical colleges can achieve this goal is by adopting Global Wind Organization (GWO) certification for their wind energy courses.

GWO certification is a globally recognized mark of quality that is widely recognized in the wind energy industry. Many employers require their employees to hold GWO certification, as it demonstrates that the individual has the necessary knowledge and skills to work safely and effectively in the wind energy industry. Therefore, by incorporating GWO certification into their wind energy courses, technical colleges can provide their students with a competitive advantage in the job market.

But the benefits of GWO for education extend beyond just career prospects. GWO certification covers a wide range of essential skills and knowledge areas for wind energy professionals, including safety training, working at heights, first aid, and fire awareness. By including GWO certification as part of their wind energy curriculum, technical colleges can ensure that their graduates are well-prepared for the challenges and demands of the wind energy industry.

Moreover, GWO for education can help standardize training and certification processes in the wind energy industry. By adopting a common set of standards and guidelines for training and certification, GWO certification can help to improve safety and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries in the wind energy sector. Technical colleges that adopt GWO certification can contribute to this goal, and provide their students with the necessary skills and knowledge to work safely in the industry.

But technical colleges do not have to adopt GWO certification on their own. They can work with a GWO training provider like STL USA, a leading wind energy training organization, to adopt GWO certification for their wind energy courses. To partner with STL USA could not be more easy. STL USA has extensive experience in the wind energy industry and is an authorized GWO training provider. Therefore, by working with STL USA, technical colleges can ensure that their wind energy programs meet the highest standards of quality and relevance.

Working with STL USA to adopt GWO certification can also benefit technical colleges’ reputations and attract more students to their wind energy programs. GWO certification is a mark of quality that is recognized globally, and technical colleges that offer GWO-certified wind energy courses can enhance the reputation of their programs. This, in turn, can attract more students to the program, and the institution can benefit from having a strong wind energy program.

In conclusion, technical colleges in the USA should work with STL USA to adopt GWO certification for their wind energy courses. GWO for education can provide students with a competitive edge in the job market, ensure that they are well-prepared for the demands of the wind energy industry, improve safety, standardize training and certification processes, and enhance the reputation and quality of their wind energy programs. By adopting GWO certification, technical colleges can provide their students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the rapidly-growing wind energy industry.

About the Global Wind Organisation

The Global Wind Organization (GWO) is an international non-profit organization that provides training and certification programs for professionals working in the wind energy industry. GWO was established in 2009 by leading wind energy companies with the aim of creating a safer and more productive work environment for wind energy professionals.

The organization’s primary mission is to standardize safety training and certification processes in the wind energy industry. The GWO provides a range of safety training modules for wind energy professionals, covering essential topics such as working at heights, first aid, manual handling, and fire awareness. These training modules are designed to meet the highest safety standards and are updated regularly to ensure that they remain relevant and effective.

The GWO’s certification programs are recognized by leading wind energy companies worldwide, and many employers require their employees to hold GWO certification before working on wind energy projects. GWO certification is considered a mark of quality and professionalism in the wind energy industry and is highly valued by employers and wind energy professionals alike.

GWO has a global network of certified training providers, who deliver the organization’s training and certification programs to wind energy professionals worldwide. These training providers must meet strict quality standards and are audited regularly to ensure that they continue to meet the GWO’s requirements.

Overall, the GWO is an essential organization in the wind energy industry, providing standardized safety training and certification programs that help to improve safety, increase productivity, and promote professionalism among wind energy professionals.

About STL USA

STL USA is one of the leading wind technician training providers in North America. Part of the Cresto Group, a network of safety solution businesses, STL USA enjoys an envious position within a global wind focussed alliance of companies. Constant improvement is built into the DNA of both STL USA and the wider group with training, and GWO at the fore of the solutions provided.

STL USA has a long history of working side-by-side with technical colleges. Born out by our relationship with TSTC which has seen us support the implementation of GWO courses into the college’s wind programs. The TSTC wind program is widely recognized as one of the best in the country. The addition of GWO only reinforces this giving graduating students a clear edge in the jobs market.


Talk to our team

Get in touch and talk to a team member now about GWO implementation

STL USA reviews

Read the latest STL USA reviews and feedback

STL USA reviews and feedback are directly channeled into our training delivery to ensure we are constantly improving our courses and meeting the education needs of wind technicians. We’re rightly proud of the reviews we receive, it’s a reflection of the quality and competence of our trainers and our training facilities.

Latest STL USA 5-star reviews

“Hello I’m victor, I just took the BST GWO training and Marshall was my instructor. Let me tell you he was by far one of the best instructors in the field in my 5 years of experience. I learned new things that I never knew about lanyards and poisoning lanyards and my phone about the emergency contacts if an accident happens. Thank you, Marshall.”

“Learned a lot here! Polite and helpful staff. Such a comfortable environment to learn! They have a variety of up-to-date equipment and all instructors are very knowledgeable in their respective trades. If you need GWO (BST, ART, or BTT), this is the place to go!
Very happy with my experiences here. Every single person who works here is just awesome.
I qualified GWO BST, ART, and BTT as a teacher here. They are very informative and can help you to teach these courses effectively in a limited amount of time. If I ever have to teach more courses, I will go here!!
Great up-to-date equipment too. They got a ladder lift recently!”

“Had a great time learning and meeting everyone. They make learning about safety fun and taught me a lot about the industry.”

“Informative, Transparent, And Extremely Knowledgeable Class And Instructors!”

“Great facility to train at whether you are a new to GWO training or you just need a refresher course. Have gone through tons of training and this was one of the more enjoyable experiences. They have extremely professional staff that keeps you involved in class with great demonstrations. They also offer classes in Spanish as well as English which is really great if you have employees that speak both. Absolutely recommend STL in Abilene.”

The reviews above highlight some of the key features of the STL training courses:

  • Knowledgeable instructors with real field experience
  • A commitment to teaching beyond the standards
  • Multi-lingual courses, ensuring all technicians get the best teaching experience 
  • Best-in-class facilities with a wide range of equipment in use in the field
  • A commitment to ensuring what is taught sticks

As a business, we at STL USA are super proud of the reviews we receive. For more information on training get in touch here.


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Latest news

STL USA Latest News

Low and High voltage electrical safety training and a round-up of OMS

STL USA are delighted to announce the launch of our latest safety course. Our low and high voltage electrical safety training to standard NFPA 70E is a wind-specific, face-to-face training program designed to equip wind technicians with the electrical safety knowledge, best work practices in electrical safety, and how to apply them in real-world situations.

This is a 2-day face-to-face training course designed to meet the needs of the wind industry and has been developed in conjunction with our OEM partners.

You can find out more about electrical safety training to standard NFPA 70E on the course page.

OMS 2023

Once again OMS was a great opportunity to meet friends and colleagues and connect with the wind industry. STL USA was focussed on developing the workforce of the future, our VP Ben Dickens took part in a panel discussion and we talked with many interested parties on how we, as an industry will achieve this. As a training provider, we are not only a big part of this discussion but a key enabler of industry growth. With this in mind, we hope to soon announce our involvement in a number of related ACP workgroups. 

At the show, we were also joined by our colleagues from Cresto Group who showed a range of their market-leading safety ad rescue equipment specific to the US market. 

With the future firmly in our sights STL USA will soon be launching a range of platform specific technical training courses. OMS was a great opportunity to talk with our customers and partners about how these can best serve their needs.

To sum up the show. The venue was great, the Sun was shining in Orlando and the show was well attended. Roll on 2024

 

Cleanpower OMS preview

OMS preview

Join us at Cleanpower Operations, Maintenance and Safety 2023

Once again we’re looking forward to exhibiting at Cleanpower Operations, Maintenance & Safety. This year brings a change of venue to the Marriott World Center Orlando. Whilst we will most certainly miss San Diego we’re looking forward to some Florida hospitality and a chance to reconnect with our customer base from all over the country.

This year our VP Ben Dickens will be taking part in a panel discussion alongside Dan Ortega from GWO and Billie Jones from TSTC. They will be discussing training the workforce of the future, something on everyone’s mind. This is particularly relevant given the striking demand for workforce growth wind will see over the next 10 years. Ben and Billie particularly will be keen to discuss how industry training such as GWO can be incorporated at an earlier stage in education and how this can ease training pressure on employers and speed up recruitment.

STL USA will be exhibiting at stand 507, come and say hi! We will also be joined by our colleagues from Cresto Group who will be showcasing a range of PPE and rescue devices specifically for the US market.

As ever it’s sure to be a great conference, we can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet new customers.

See you in orlando.

 

Safety Technology USA news

As 2021 gets well underway it’s time for a news update.

2021 has been a super busy year so far despite some of the limitations we’re dealing with due to Covid-19. As ever safety of our attendees and staff is of utmost importance as we continue to support our vital industry.

New Course dates

We have a range of courses coming up over the next weeks:

Texas

March 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th

April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

Each week will offer both a full Basic Safety Training and Basic Safety Training Refresher.

Iowa

March 22nd

April 5th, 19th

Again a full Basic Safety Training and Basic Safety Training Refresher will be available on all weeks.

Join us at O&M in Texas

We’re excited to have secured our place at the AWEA O&M Safety conference 2021 in Round Rock, Texas. As we’ll be on our home turf in Texas we’re hoping that our entire crew will be joining us. It’ll be a great opportunity to meet instructors, our commercial team and check out new equipment. Head over to AWEA for more details, we hope to see you there.

 

More course availability

Through the second half of 2020, we used some of our Covid downtimes to bring additional trainers through our in-house program. What this means for our customers is more courses at more venues. In the coming months expect to see a weekly course in Texas for both Basic Safety Training and Refreshers and a minimum of 2 courses per month for both. We will also be adding GWO Advanced courses to our program and beginning to schedule Basic Technical Training as distancing restrictions allow.

 

Growing Partnerships

Working closely with strategic partners is central to Safety Technology’s global growth and this is no different in the USA. 2021 will bring a host of new announcements of partners delivering Safety Technology GWO accredited training courses. The first of which is with our partners in Kansas City, Pinnacle Career Institute. Currently, training Working at Height PCI will soon be delivering the full Basic Safety Training course from the accredited site in Kansas City. We’re excited to be developing these additional modules which will be available for in-house students and external companies looking for training.

 

If you’re looking for training, get in touch.

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New Year, new GWO courses

It’s a New Year and that means new GWO courses.

 

We’ve just announced new GWO courses for 2021 and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what will be a huge year for Safety Technology USA.

 

Like most of us out there 2020 was a difficult year and 2021 would be hard pressed to be any worse. But looking ahead as we emerge from the impact of the pandemic the team at Safety Technology USA have a real optimism for the year ahead.  Our team has grown through 2020 and it’s been great to welcome new people onboard as we embark on the new year.

We also have big plans for the year ahead to expand our GWO training footprint across more of the USA so watch this space for announcements on new centers.

 

Upcoming courses

All January courses are now fully booked.

 

Texas February courses

Basic Safety Training refresher February 1st 2021

Basic Safety Training February 8th, 15th, 22nd 2021

 

Texas March courses

Basic Safety Training refresher March TBC

Basic Safety Training March 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd 2021

 

Iowa February courses

Basic Safety Training February 22nd 2021

 

Iowa March courses

Basic Safety Training March 22nd 2021

 

Onsite training

We are also able to conduct onsite training where Safety Technology trainers can cisit your wind site to perform a training course. Suitable access to a turbine or climbing structure is required or we can bring our mobile tower to your site.

 

Expanding the range of GWO courses

We are delighted to announce that we will be extending a number of the advanced courses Safety Technology train in Europe to the USA this year. Our new GWO Advanced courses will be offered in Iowa and Texas, contact us for more details.

 

To book a course or request more info please get in touch with our team

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Photo by Cameron Venti on Unsplash

November GWO Basic Safety Training and Refresher dates

November GWO Basic Safety Training and refresher dates are now confirmed.

 

We have now confirmed November GWO Basic Safety Training and Refresher dates for November. These courses will be taking place in Abilene Texas. Our November 23rd course is the first refresher we have run for a while due to the demand for full courses. There will be a maximum of 12 spots on this course with the next refresher likely taking place in January 2021.

All GWO safety training courses will follow our Covid protocol which covers social distancing during courses, use of PPE, candidate pre-screening and course modifications where appropriate to remove the need for attendee contact during training. We implemented this protocol at the start of the pandemic and it has served

 

Full GWO Basic Safety Training

5 days

Modules include

  • Fire Awareness (1/2 day)
  • First Aid (2 days)
  • Manual Handling (1/2 day)
  • Working at height (2 days)

Start dates

November 2nd

November 16th

 

GWO Basic Safety Training Refresher

3 days

Modules include

  • Fire Awareness (1/2 day)
  • First Aid (1 day)
  • Manual Handling (1/2 day)
  • Working at height (1 day)

Start dates

November 23rd

 

We already have a number of bookings for November and with limited training dates in December these represent some of the last opportunities to gain GWO certification before the new year. All courses operate on a first come first served basis, if you have any queries or require further information please reach out via the link below and one of our team will help you.

 

To book a course or request more info please get in touch with our team

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GWO Basic Safety Training course dates

GWO Basic Safety Training course dates for October and November are out.

 

Join us in Abilene, Texas for a GWO Basic Safety Training course. Courses run over 5 days including modules; first aid, fire awareness, manual handling and working at height. The GWO Basic Safety Training course is a must have for technicians looking to get ahead in the wind energy market. Safety Technology USa train hundreds of technicians every year in the global GWO Basic Safety Ttaining standard. Safety Technology USa trainers are considered some of the most experienced trainers globally and we consistently get great feedback:

 

“I want to let you know that your instructors Brandon and Jerry were GREAT, they were very professional, I would highly recommend them, your course, and your company.”

 

The next GWO Basic Safety Training courses with availability take place on

  • October 26th
  • November 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

Places are limited for all courses so we encourage you to speak to us about reserving a spot as soon as you know you need training.

 

 

Get in touch to book a course

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GWO course dates September

GWO course dates for September are out.

 

The latest GWO course dates for September have just been released. Courses available are for GWO BAsic Safety training. This course runs over 5 days and includes the modules; fire awareness, first aid, manual handling and working at height.

 

We have a detailed procedure in place to ensure that any technicians visiting our sites are safe and can visit us and train in confidence.

 

STL USA’s procedures include:

  • All candidates will be pre-screened with a detailed health questionnaire including contact and symptoms for 3 weeks proceeding the course.
  • We reserve the right to refuse anyone access to the course on health and safety grounds
  • Hand sanitiser, masks, gloves and face visors will be handed to candidates on arrival to the facility and replaced each day
  • Sanitiser stations are available within the areas used to deliver the course including climbing facilities and classrooms
  • In a classroom setting desks will be positioned so as to have a 6 feet gap between students at all times
  • In a climbing lab setting equipment will be cleaned between use by individual students and sanitised at the end of the day
  • Aspects of training that would normally require physical contact between students have been modified in line with GWO requirements

 

Please see below for the GWO course dates for September in Texas and Iowa.

Texas

GWO Basic Safety Training

September 21st, 28th

 

Iowa

GWO Basic Safety Training

September 21st and 28th

 

In addition we will be slotting GWO Basic Safety Training Refreshers around our full course timetable. If you need refreshers please contact us. We also have the option to train onsite where STL USA instructors can visit your site and perform a training course.

 

Get in touch to book a course

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