NEW AYOP MEMBER MBO AIRPORT COLLEGE PARTNERS WITH WIND ENERGY SECTOR

MBO College Airport, the leading vocational education training centre for airports, has joined forces with various key players in the wind energy sector such as Vattenfall, Siemens Gamesa, Redak and Iver to work on and invest in new infrastructures. The venture was sufficient reason to join AYOP says René de Moor, a lecturer on the maintenance of wind turbines. “MBO College Airport’s membership will allow us to partner with AYOP on tackling the shortage of human capital. Meeting the needs of the members in this respect is only possible if we are in constant contact with each other and working closely together. AYOP is a powerful facilitator in this respect as an association.”

Dutch Minister of Climate and Energy Rob Jetten announced in May 2022 that billions of euros would be made available to speed up the energy transition in order to reach the climate targets. The government has also committed to a significant expansion of wind energy at sea. The ROC van Amsterdam – Flevoland college of which MBO College Airport is a part, see opportunities to link these developments to enhance the future prospects of its technology students and in doing so make a contribution towards a more sustainable Europe.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN AIRCRAFT AND WIND TURBINES

Organisers of the Aircraft Maintenance training course at MBO College Airport started thinking about alternatives for their students when the pandemic led to the aviation sector being temporarily locked down. There are quite a few similarities in competencies between maintaining an aircraft and a wind turbine. “This means that there are not many differences between what maintenance technicians should know and be able to do in order to safely maintain both aircraft and turbines,” says René.” Students can supplement their Aircraft Maintenance training with an elective course in Wind Turbine Maintenance and significantly enhance their career opportunities in the process. Students in other technology courses will also be able to benefit from this development.”

INVESTMENTS IN WIND TURBINE SIMULATOR

MBO College Airport has purchased a state-of-the-art wind turbine simulator to help teach students and develop their technical skills in a context-rich environment. In addition, Vattenfall has donated two rotor blades to MBO College Airport for educational purposes. These are not only intended for the Aircraft Maintenance students who are taking the elective Wind Turbine Maintenance course – they can also be used by Drone Engineering & Operations students to experiment on repairing rotor blades with a drone.

DEALING WITH SHORTAGES

ROC Amsterdam-Flevoland and the energy sector are positive about joining forces to resolve the major social challenges related to sustainability. The college aims to address the huge demand for technical staff as there is already a shortage in the Netherlands. By introducing technology students to the promising energy sector during their training, ROC Amsterdam-Flevoland hopes to contribute to the energy transition in line with the college’s own sustainability strategy.

“The cooperation between Vattenfall, Siemens Gamesa, Redak and Iver is something we are very pleased to see,” says AYOP director Sylvia Boer. “It’s good to know we can find the technicians of the future at training centres like MBO College Airport. And the way it is now spreading its wings to the sustainable wind sector is a testament to the college’s vision and innovation, something which fits very well with AYOP and our members. We are delighted both with these developments and this latest new addition to our association.”