For Immediate Release
Delaware, Ohio — August 4, 2026
Sky Climber Renewables (SCR), a leading provider of wind energy services and workforce solutions, announced that the Tech One Program (TOP), its wind technician training and placement initiative developed in partnership with Vestas, recently surpassed 1,000 placements and transfers.
The milestone was reached in July 2026 and represents a significant achievement in structured workforce development for the wind energy industry. It also reflects sustained demand for field-ready wind technicians across North America.
Since its launch in late 2019, the Tech One Program has processed more than 53,580 applicants, delivered an estimated 220,200 hours of hands-on technical training across 224 program cohorts, and placed graduates across 30 U.S. states. Among program graduates, 217 are U.S. military veterans who have transitioned into long-term wind energy careers through the TOP pathway.
1,000 placements and transfers. 30 states. More than 220,000 hours of technical training.
A Partnership Built on Operational Necessity
The Tech One Program was founded as a joint initiative between Sky Climber Renewables and Vestas to address a growing challenge facing the wind energy industry: workforce development was not keeping pace with capacity growth.
Designed from the ground up to streamline the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and deployment of wind technicians, the program was built on a grassroots hiring model that prioritized local talent development and field-ready outcomes.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind turbine service technician is among the fastest-growing occupations in the country, with employment projected to grow 60 percent through 2033. Programs like TOP provide the structured, industry-aligned workforce infrastructure needed to help meet that demand at scale.
What the Program Has Delivered
The Tech One Program operates as an end-to-end workforce pipeline, moving candidates from initial application through training, certification, and field deployment using a structured and repeatable model.
The program’s OEM-aligned training standards, developed in coordination with Vestas, help ensure that graduates enter the field with the technical foundation required to perform safely and effectively from day one.
Graduates have been deployed across utility-scale wind operations in 30 states, contributing to the maintenance, performance, and reliability of wind energy assets across the country.
Leadership Perspective
“Reaching 1,000 placements through the Tech One Program is a defining moment for Sky Climber Renewables and for the wind energy workforce we have spent years building together with Vestas. This milestone is proof that when two organizations commit to solving a real problem with discipline and intention, the results follow. We are proud of what this program has delivered and even more excited about where it goes from here.”
Kelly Winkler
Chief Executive Officer, Sky Climber Renewables
“The Tech One Program was built to close a gap that the industry could not afford to ignore. Reaching 1,000 placements is validation of the model, the partnership, and the people who came through this pipeline looking for an opportunity and earned a career. This is what structured workforce development looks like in practice.”
Chad DiFranco
Chief Revenue Officer, Sky Climber Renewables
“From an operational standpoint, the value of this program is measured in the quality and consistency of the technicians we deploy. TOP graduates arrive field-ready. That’s not by chance. It’s the result of a training and deployment model that was designed with real operational demands in mind, and a partnership with Vestas that holds those standards at every stage.”
Dustin Joffrion
Chief Operations Officer, Sky Climber Renewables
“Every cohort we run, every candidate we move through this program, represents a real investment in someone’s future. Reaching 1,000 placements means 1,000 people whose careers in wind energy started here. That’s something our entire program team takes enormous pride in, and it pushes us to keep raising the bar.”
Chris Boone
Tech One Program Manager, Sky Climber Renewables
“More than 53,000 people have applied to this program since we launched. Our job is to find the right candidates, support them through the process, and get them into careers that last. Hitting 1,000 placements is a testament to the entire recruiting and program team that makes that happen every single day.”
Michele Ellis
Talent Acquisition Manager, Sky Climber Renewables
“Reaching this milestone reflects the strength of what Sky Climber Renewables and Vestas have built together. The Tech One Program represents our shared commitment to developing a skilled, sustainable wind energy workforce that can meet the demands of a growing industry. We are proud of this partnership and the 1,000 professionals who have launched their careers through it.”
Matthew Coleman
Senior Vice President, Service, North America, Vestas
“I think the thing we appreciate most is the speed at which the program brings us candidates. The quality of technicians coming through the TOP pathway speaks directly to the rigor of the training model and the alignment between SCR and Vestas on what field-ready really means. At the site level, we see the difference that structured preparation makes. This milestone is well earned.”
AnneMarie Graves
Vice President, Head of Midwest Region, Vestas
“Building a workforce pipeline that consistently produces technically sound, safety-conscious wind professionals requires more than a curriculum. It requires a committed partnership, clear standards, and a shared investment in outcomes. The Tech One Program delivers all three. One thousand placements is a number we are proud to have helped build.”
Jennifer Duquemin
Manager, Vendor Operations, Vestas
Looking Ahead
Sky Climber Renewables and Vestas will continue to grow the Tech One Program pipeline in the years ahead. SCR will also begin publishing individual graduate stories, highlighting career trajectories and providing a firsthand look at what the TOP pathway has meant to the professionals who have completed the program.
The program continues to recruit and train new technician cohorts in support of Vestas field operations across North America.
Learn more about the Tech One Program
About Sky Climber Renewables
Sky Climber Renewables is a U.S.-based provider of wind energy services and workforce solutions, specializing in technician training, placement, and field deployment for utility-scale wind operations. As part of the Sky Climber family of companies, SCR combines deep industry expertise with a commitment to building the skilled workforce that the clean energy transition demands.
About Vestas
Vestas is the energy industry’s global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe, with more wind power capacity installed through time than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas’ employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.
Media Contacts
Chad DiFranco
Chief Revenue Officer
Sky Climber Renewables
press@skyclimber.com
888.559.7297
Matthew Copeman
Lead Manager, Marketing & Communications
Vestas North America
mtcoe@skyclimber.com
503.475.6428
