KALAMAZOO – The first female as well as three other students from western states will join 11 Michigan students when Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s second Wind Turbine Technician Academy starts its 26 weeks of intensive training on June 14.

The first-of-its-kind training academy in the nation received 90

applications for the 16 slots. Six of those applicants have been

accepted into the academy?s third edition scheduled to begin in

January.

Based in the Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC) of KVCC, the

academy graduated its first 16 technicians in April under the guidance

of instructors Tom Sutton and Greg Meeuwsen. Twelve have been hired for state and global jobs, while the other four are being recruited.

Class No. 2 hails from Kalamazoo, Greenville, Clawson, Port Sanilac,

Zeeland, Marcellus and Battle Creek in Michigan, along with Marana and

Casa Grande in Arizona, and Carbondale in Colorado.

The first female accepted into the program is from New York. The

other Midwesterner calls Waukegan, Ill., home. Students from

Pennsylvania and Kentucky will fill spots in January.

The academy received a $550,000 federal appropriation to purchase

specialized laboratory equipment, including a 90-foot tower and

turbine-unit platform that are scheduled to be installed in the

M-TEC’s parking median for training purposes by July or early

August.

Only KVCC’s program is certified by Bildungszentrum fur Erneuerebare

Energien (BZEE) in the United States. Its English equivalent is

“Renewable Energy Education Center.”

Located in Husum, Germany, and founded in 2000, BZEE was created and

supported by major wind-turbine manufacturers, component makers, and

enterprises that provide operation and maintenance services. As

wind-energy production increased throughout Europe, the need for

high-quality, industry-driven, international standards emerged. BZEE has

become the leading trainer for wind-turbine technicians across Europe

and now in Asia.

An educational partnership with Fuhrlaender North America, based in

North Kingston, R. I., and Fuhrlaender AG, its parent corporation in

Germany, gives KVCC academy students the chance for in-depth exposure to

the maintenance requirements and hands-on monitoring of utility-scale

wind turbines, and to cutting-edge software.

Fuhrlaender AG and its global family of branch companies are among the

world leaders in the wind industry. They offer a wide range of

equipment and are currently manufacturing turbines ranging from

producing 600 kilowatts to 2.5 megawatts. The company?s growth in

the world market includes plans for several manufacturing facilities in

the United States.

Additional program support is the result of a collaboration with the

Michigan firm of Crystal Flash Renewable Energy L.L.C. That allows

academy trainees to work with professional wind-turbine technicians as

active participants in both preventive and corrective maintenance.

Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Crystal Flash Renewable Energy owns two

wind turbines in Mackinaw City at the top of the state?s Lower

Peninsula.

The first step to gain access into the next academy is to complete the

written application, which can be downloaded at KVCC.Edu/Training Applications can be mailed or faxed to the

college.

?Wind Academy II? will conclude with a Dec. 10 graduation

ceremony.

A math test is also part of the screening process, along with the

results of a medical examination and documented work experience in

technical fields.

The last step in the application process is a screening for an ability

to function in tight quarters and work at great heights.

The fee is $12,000.

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