Nordex Energy South Africa has inducted a new group of interns into its national wind power internship programme, as part of its commitment to skills development and youth employment.

This follows the successful completion and full absorption of all participants from the inaugural intake, each of whom has been permanently employed by the company.

Launched in November 2023, the 18-month internship programme is a strategic investment in building the country’s pipeline of wind turbine service technicians.

Aligned to national energy goals, the programme provides young engineers who are qualified in electrical, mechanical or mechatronics disciplines with critical workplace experience at Nordex-operated wind farms across the country.

“Having a mentor but also being able to work alongside multiple technicians gave us a broader perspective and practical understanding of fault analysis. This programme has opened doors for us—we’re now excited about growing within this industry,” says graduate Lubabalo Vandala, who now works as a service technician at the Copperton Wind Farm, in the Northern Cape.

With South Africa’s renewable energy build-out accelerating, the demand for skilled technicians is growing alongside the deployment of larger, more advanced wind turbine technologies.

By investing in local skills, original-equipment manufacturers such as Nordex are actively supporting job creation and sector resilience.

To source candidates for the second intake, Nordex adopted a new peer-referral model and called on experienced technicians to nominate candidates from within their professional networks.

“This approach has helped identify individuals with a strong fit for the sector’s demanding fieldwork and team dynamics,” Nordex states.

The new intake of seven interns began their placements in June, starting with technical and safety training, before joining site-based service teams under the guidance of assigned mentors.

Interns are immersed in turbine operations, including troubleshooting, maintenance, warehouse logistics, and technical presentations on key wind systems such as condition monitoring systems, pitch and yaw systems, as well as energy conversion technologies.

“The impact of the mentor-intern dynamic has been significant. We have seen a direct link between strong mentor engagement and intern development,” Nordex people and culture head Zelrese Brair says.

She adds that several interns from the first cohort were selected early on for advanced tasks, based on performance and potential.

Aidan Swartz, a former intern of Nordex and now a service technician at the Roggeveld Wind Farm, located on the border of the Western Cape and Northern Cape, says his internship set a strong foundation for his career, having received on-the-job training and technical instruction from experts, which helped provide him with a deep understanding of turbine systems.

Performance monitoring and feedback loops have enabled continuous refinement of the programme, Nordex says.

Notably, site-specific placements, rather than rotational ones, and targeted support have improved both the intern experience and operational continuity.

The programme places interns across wind farms in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces, including the Garob, Amakhala, Roggeveld, Copperton and Dorper wind farms.