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Are you interested in wind energy and want to work as a wind turbine technician? Do you want to study wind power but can only study online due to work commitments or where you reside?
Then, you can find what you're looking for at Pinnacle Career Institute. Here we'll introduce you to the wind energy sector and its range of available programs, as well as explain how to stand out in your application so you can receive full knowledge about wind energy and its operation as soon as possible.
Pinnacle Career Institute (PCI) is a trade school that offers online trade school programs for HVAC, wind turbine technicians, tower technicians, and wind energy technology. PCI also offers GWO safety training courses tailored to businesses for entire teams of employees.
PCI has a student-centered focus on preparing applicants in various field-related fields with the sole purpose of enabling them to contribute to society and improve their lives. PCI's intense passion for education and agility in adapting to the ever-changing needs of its pupils, industries, and communities are reflected in its continuous improvement practices.
The quality of education PCI provides based on the following basic principles are:
PCI does not discriminate and ensures its education is delivered to a diverse student population. No matter your socioeconomic background, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, you are welcome to learn with PCI.
Pinnacle Career Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is a recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. As Kansas City’s premier trade school, PCI is proud to fulfill the requirements for ACCSC accreditation.
Pinnacle Career Institute is also approved by the VA to participate in a variety of federally funded education programs. Information for these programs can be found at: http://dhe.mo.gov/ppc/veteransed.php This confirms how committed PCI is to delivering professional, formal education to every candidate that deserves nothing but the best.
PCI has five different trade programs for you to explore. We'll highlight them below.
Do you want to be prepared for entering the wind energy field and developing careers in the renewable energy industry, being wind energy, among others? If yes, then with this program, you will learn about the different types of turbines, how they work, and what it takes to the operation of wind turbines.
Applicants are taught how to perform routine maintenance tasks and troubleshoot problems. This includes focusing on electrical power generation and working with electrical components, hydraulics, pneumatic systems, and mechanical equipment. They are trained to install and repair wind turbines, blades, towers, nacelles, generators, batteries, and other parts of the system, as well as work from heights.
Wind turbine technician candidates must complete a combination of theoretical level instruction and on-site training. Classes include topics such as trade skills, fundamentals of the wind power industry, the science behind wind turbines, basic principles of wind energy development, and wind energy systems.
Hands-on training consists of practical exercises that simulate real-world situations. These include installing and repairing components, performing inspections, troubleshooting, and testing.
The Tower Technician Turbine program provides training, certification, and career opportunities for individuals interested in working in the tower maintenance field. This program provides the key basics of the system that would allow a graduate to work safely and professionally in the tower turbine field.
Career opportunities include, but are not limited to, technicians for:
Pupils will learn several topics, including electrical fundamentals, the dynamics of the tower industry, and how to climb, rig, and perform basic safety procedures.
By the end of the program, pupils are expected to be able to identify certain gear and equipment, such as the different types of rigging equipment and rope types and ratings, and demonstrate their abilities, such as how to properly inspect, maintain, and use certain rope types according to the appropriate situations, weatherproof cell tower equipment, and mount and dismount antennas.
The HVAC Technician program teaches students about heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems, where they'll eventually have hands-on learning to stand out with their newly gained knowledge.
Prospective technicians enrolled in the program receive classroom instruction and lab practice in areas such as refrigerant identification, safety practices, and troubleshooting techniques. They also participate in a variety of practical assignments, including installing, repairing, and maintaining equipment.
Those studying the HVAC Technician program would be ready to enter the workforce as several kinds of technicians (i.e., A/C, HVAC, service), installers, mechanics, or HVAC specialists.
Topics that will be learned cover an introduction to HVAC, how to perform HVAC maintenance and piping, as well as hydronic systems, heat pumps, and duct systems.
Upon completing the program, applicants would be able to identify several aspects, such as the basic components of a furnace venting system and what it needs to function, and explain their understanding clearly, such as what hydronic systems are and the types of heating systems.
This associate degree program requires its students to first obtain the Wind Turbine Technology certification. With this certification, they are equipped with the fundamentals of wind energy technology and permanent magnet wind turbine.
They will learn about wind power turbines, wind energy site and unit management, and how to operate the current wind power technology commonly needed for this field.
This associate degree will open doors for those looking to work as a supervisor (i.e., wind site, wind energy, wind turbine installation, wind speeds, wind turbines) or a manager (i.e., wind site, wind energy companies).
Upon completion of the program, students would possess knowledge of wind energy turbine technologies, the aerodynamics of wind energy turbines, wind energy potentialities, different wind speeds, wind energy in several levels, and more.
The Global Wind Organization (GWO) provides training that is embedded within PCI's Wind Turbine Technician program on how to work from heights in a safe manner. Upon completion of several courses within the program and tests, such as the tower climb test, students will be awarded a certification by the GWO.
Wind turbine technology application includes wind turbine technology, wind farms, and the wind energy storage sites where they are located and are seen to be the gateway to one of the futures of sustainable energy. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, "wind energy supplied more than 9% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2021."
The Wind Turbine Technician Program is designed to prepare students for careers as technicians, project developers, and company positions in the wind energy field. This is where they will learn about the different facets of wind energy, such as the science behind it, its history, its effectiveness, and how it works as electrical energy.
There are seven courses within the program and one practicum at the very end.
This introductory class doubles as an orientation for new students to understand more about the school, the program itself, and what is expected by the end of the course, as well as to familiarize them with the operation and real industrial devices needed to learn.
Students are given an overview of standard principles related to working safety, the mathematics needed for trade occupations, and the soft skills needed in the workplace, such as project developers. This overview is to enhance the student's professional behavior and mentally equip them to become wind turbine technicians.
As written in the name of the course, students will be introduced to basic trade skills. There are various tools that will be operated, such as handheld ones and power-consuming ones; therefore, students will also learn how to inspect these tools in each operation and ensure they're used safely.
There are many other kinds of equipment, such as fasteners, different kinds of cabling and wiring, and ropes, all of which will be learned through practical exercises where pupils will apply their knowledge and test out the trades covered in the course.
While the previous course introduces students to trade skills, this course will introduce them to electrical energy.
Reminiscent of a physics course, the topic of electricity covers what current and voltage mean, as well as resistance and level of power. Students will understand the various kinds of electrical circuits and transformers involved, in which they will also come to know how these can work in operation and be dismantled in a safe manner.
Upon understanding the key basics of electricity, students are prepared to enter the next phase of how electricity is produced and how this energy generates a distribution unit. These methods encompass fossil fuel and non-renewable energy consumption as well as renewable energy, such as wind energy and solar energy.
This is where the topic of electricity begins to narrow into something niche, being how it's utilized and generated by wind turbines with the help of modern wind power stations. Students will learn how electricity is distributed throughout these wind turbines and controlled properly, through techniques such as tensioning and torquing, with specific equipment.
In correlation to the course on wind turbine science, this course dives deeper into how wind energy is converted to generated electricity power in modern wind power stations. Students will be taught the history of wind energy, which encompasses the science behind it, how it is captured in a rotor, and the necessary components needed in a wind turbine generator to effectively capture this energy.
Job safety awareness is also a priority in this course, whereby they will understand what should be paid attention to when working inside a wind turbine and on a wind farm, as well as the different kinds of climbing equipment and proper climbing techniques for the distance.
However, this is a non-exhaustive description! There are a whole lot more safety precautions that they will be explained and get to demonstrate as part of their practical exercises.
In this course, the different phases of alternating currents (AC) are introduced, which will be used as an analysis of how the relationship between these phases can be combined with components used to refine the power generated by these alternating currents.
As students begin to understand deeper how these currents flow in turbines, they will be taught how to control such energy within a wind turbine and a wind farm environment, considering different wind speeds. This includes a topic on how to utilize switching devices to distribute alternating currents throughout wind turbines, control them, manage AC power consumption, and transfer them into energy storage.
Finally, the program concludes with the Wind Turbine Technician Practicum.
This is an eighty-hour boot camp stationed in Kansas City, Missouri, where PCI is based. The lengthy practicum goes over the program's learning objectives and provides additional competencies, such as wind speed safety and tower climbing.
PCI is responsible for arranging the student's travel to the boot camp and the lodging, local mode of transport, and meals while at the boot camp. However, PCI does not bear responsibility for the student's personal needs, evening meals, and snacks.
If you're interested in applying, then don't hesitate any further!
PCI recommends you apply quickly so that you can be admitted into your program of choice, such as the wind turbine technician position.
There are several steps that need to be fulfilled, as listed below:
During the interview with the PCI's admission coordinator, you must take the opportunity to ask any question that you may have, whether it's about the courses, programs, study material, or job opportunities upon graduating.
Furthermore, the interview is where you'll get the chance to display your earnest tenacity to pursue higher education for job advancement and skill development. The admission coordinator will take this time to determine your suitability and strength for the position.
In order to stand out in your application, it'd be good to display the following:
This can be done by sharing personal or professional experiences that give a clear description of the issue that was faced, how you determined the best course of action in solving it, what you did to resolve the problem, and who were the stakeholders that benefitted from your solution.
PCI's program is designed to equip you with soft and hard skills necessary in the trade; therefore, PCI requires the assurance that you can learn the skills and apply them effectively and correctly in a job setting.
One way to stand out from others is through your academic records. This could be through high scores in your examinations or active engagement in extracurricular activities relevant to the program.
Possibly!
PCI firmly believes that every student has a right to accessible, quality education without being constrained by their financial situations. Therefore, PCI supports its student population with different options for financial help.
In order to determine your eligibility for receiving governmental financial aid, you would have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. PCI's Student Financial Aid Department can assist you with this. As this financial aid is not guaranteed every year, each student is encouraged to reapply annually throughout the program.
Even after you've received financial aid, the work doesn't stop there! You have to maintain satisfactory academic progress for two reasons: to remain a PCI student and be eligible for receiving financial support.
There are many different job options within the wind, tower technicians, and HVAC technicians industry.
Tower technicians inspect towers and make sure everything is working properly. They install equipment like generators, fans, and motors and repair problems such as broken blades and electrical issues.
HVAC technicians maintain air conditioning systems, heat pumps, boilers, and chillers. They also perform preventative maintenance and troubleshooting.
These technicians typically start out as apprentice HVAC techs and advance into positions requiring additional certifications. On the other hand, sales representatives sell wind power products and services. They often work directly with customers and prospects.
With PCI's supportive teaching environment, various trade programs that combine classroom and hands-on learning, overall convenience, and financial assistance, it's clear why you should join this trade school.
Additionally, now that you know how to improve your chances of passing the application for admission into the Wind Turbine Technician program, or any other trade program of your interest, apply at PCI today!
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