GE Renewable Energy plans hiring spree at blade manufacturing plant

GE Renewable Energy plans to recruit 300 employees at its LM Wind Power wind turbine blade manufacturing site in Cherbourg, France, in 2021.

The expanded production workforce will allow LM Wind Power to meet the growing industry demand for offshore wind equipment, the company said.

The factory currently has more than 450 employees, with 34 percent being women. The facility became the first wind turbine blade manufacturing site in France when it was opened almost three years ago in April 2018.

The Cherbourg team is mostly looking to expand its production workforce, with positions that are open to all profiles and backgrounds. Every new employee will be trained to manufacture wind turbine blades through LM Wind Power’s ‘Center of Excellence’ training program – a six-week theoretical and practical training course, which will develop the skills and technical expertise required to produce wind turbine blades. The site will also be looking for production supervisors, quality controllers and maintenance technicians.

The Cherbourg factory has produced the first offshore wind turbine blade longer than 100 metres, a 107-metres long blade that will be used in GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine.

A second 107-metre blade manufacturing mold is currently being installed at the plant.

“The arrival of the second mold within the factory marks an increased activity for LM Wind Power in Cherbourg, and we are happy to welcome a large wave of new employees, allowing us to participate in social development and create more jobs in the surrounding community, but also to bring new skills to the region,” Florence Martinez Flores, the site’s Human Resources Director, said.