Chinese firm helps US coal miners transition to wind energy jobs

CGTN

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In Rawlins, Wyoming, people came to hear about a career they hadn't considered until pretty recently.

David

Halligan, the CEO of China-owned Goldwind Americas, told those

assembled that his company is looking for wind farm technicians and he

asked if they might be interested.

"We' re reaching

out to the employment base that has these types of skills that are

interested in getting into the wind industry," said Halligan.

Wyoming

Resident Jeff Taylor said he needs a job. Taylor worked in the oil

industry for three decades until he was eased out of his job.

"I'm getting kind of bored,"said Taylor. "I need something that keeps me going.”

For

years, coal and oil and gas have been Wyoming's bedrock. 40 percent of

US coal is still produced in the state but the industry is in decline.

1,000 coal jobs have been lost here in the past few years. But now, wind

energy is making its presence felt. Several large wind farms will soon

be built in Wyoming.

The Wind is part of Wyoming's landscape, and it could be

the state's future. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the

number of wind tech jobs in America will double in the next seven years.

"It's a start," said University of Wyoming's Rod Godby.

"It's

part of a larger solution, and it's just part of economic development. A

state like Wyoming can't ignore those sorts of opportunities.”

And

Goldwind needs people who've worked in hazardous situations, whose

electrical and mechanical skills are transferable to the wind industry

and who don't mind climbing a wind turbine.

"Well,

it's probably a lot harder than my job," said Halligan. "You have to be

able to work 300 feet in the air, maybe even higher.”

He thinks fossil fuel workers could be a good fit.

"We think it's pretty smart on our part because we're going to identify the cream of the crop," said Halligan.

"This is an exciting industry, said Taylor. "It will be a transition for people."

Perhaps a difficult transition for some. Far from everyone in Wyoming is on board with the wind.

"I

mean it's one thing to drive the turbines, to see them," said Godby. "Maybe you don't like them because it upsets a view. But it's another

thing to see them as a way of life.”

The prospect of job security and a steady paycheck appeals to Wyoming resident David Kriest.

"It is the future," said Kreist. "It's here, it's going to happen, might as well get on with it."

"Getting

in now, you're getting on the ground floor," said Halligan. "And you

can ride that wave, and it's only going to get bigger.”

Goldwind

Americas plan to offer two weeks of free training to eligible job

candidates in the fall. Wyoming's energy bust could turn into a boom for

workers who decide to make this unusual career turn.