Wind Turbine Technician Academy Trains Graduates for Exciting Careers

Steven Davis, a former landscaper and warehouse manager from Grand Rapids, is this year’s recipient of the Stoner Schmiege Wind Turbine Technician Academy Scholarship. The $7,500 scholarship, awarded each year to a student in the WTTA, is a great financial relief to Davis, who quit his job and moved to Kalamazoo to enroll in the Academy.

The scholarship was established in 2011 by Janet Stoner and Rick Schmiege in support of Kalamazoo Valley’s Wind Turbine Technology Academy. Applicants must be must highly motivated and show early dedication and commitment to program.

Davis said he was honored to receive the scholarship. “Everyone here deserves it,” he said. “I’m utterly grateful for the opportunity to receive it. I moved here to go to school and I’m 100 percent dedicated to the class. I’m thankful to everyone who was involved with letting me have this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Tom Sutton, Director of Wind Energy and Technical Services at The Groves Center said he thinks Davis deserves the scholarship. “He’s a real class leader and a hard worker,” Sutton said. “If anybody needs help, he’s always willing to help them out.”

Davis said he researched wind turbine training programs before he enrolled at Kalamazoo Valley and was sold on the school’s solid reputation. “I’m enrolled in this program to dedicate my life to the renewable energy movement and pursue my dream of a career in wind power,” Davis said. “Following my instructors’ advice, I am not working for the first time in 14 years, so I can focus entirely on my studies and become the best technician possible. It has been a struggle to make ends meet and I’ve had to make many sacrifices. Knowing that I will be bettering the lives of other people, future generations, and the Earth -- makes it all worth it.”

Sutton said the WTTA is rigorous. “Choosing to attend the Wind Turbine Technician Academy reflects an individual’s drive to create a career aligned with their dedication to making renewable energy,” he said. “We’ve earned our reputation for producing extraordinarily prepared technicians and encouraging very driven candidates to apply to the course.”

Davis said he is a hands-on learner and he considers enrolling in the academy to be the best life decision he’s made. “My family is thrilled that I have decided to pursue my passion for a career in wind energy,” he said. “I have learned so much being in class, lab, and in the field with my classmates and instructors. Being able to go on these service trips and learning from industry professionals is what sets Kalamazoo Valley above the rest. I’m eager to put my skills to work in the industry.”

The next Wind Turbine Technician Academy begins on July 6, 2015. The Wind Turbine Technician Academy provides a fast track to jobs that are in demand and pay high wages. More than 96% of the program’s alumni work in the Wind Energy industry. Kalamazoo Valley Community College offers this course as a non-credit full time program allowing men and women the chance to be job ready in less than six months. Students attend Monday through Friday, eight hours each day for 24 weeks. Graduates who successfully complete the program can be awarded 27 KVCC college credits, making alumni both job-ready and armed with progress toward an Associate’s degree.

Watch a short video about the program at vimeo.com/66170371.

For more information or to apply to the academy, go to http://www.kvccgrovescenter.com/career/wtta/ or contact Ben Ash, Program Coordinator, at bash@kvcc.edu or 269.353.1560.