Joel Saxum spoke to Alfred Crabtree from the Blade Repair Academy at Blades USA in Austin, TX. They discussed the challenges faced by blade repair technicians, including the physically demanding nature of the job, frequent travel, and high attrition rates. Crabtree also talks about the Blade Repair Academy's mission to provide training and vetting for blade repair technicians, and initiatives to create a dedicated occupation and apprenticeship program for this field. Visit https://www.bladerepairacademy.com/home.



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Joel Saxum: All right guys we're back here at Blades got Alfred Crabtree here from the Blade Repair Academy. Alfred's big mission with the Blade Repair Academy is bringing new net capacity to the wind industry, right? We need more composite technicians. We need more composite technicians, that's right. For sure.



We're at Blades here. Alfred presented yesterday and this is one of my highlights from the conference, not because you're sitting next to me and I'm saying this. Thank you. But just in general because we have had like we said, a lot of Subject matter experts, a lot of the, I'm in charge of all the blades for this fleet and that fleet discussions around inspection.



What should you do with your blades when they come out of the manufacturing facilities? DNV talking about certain things a lot of really good high level engineering stuff. Yes. But yesterday, Alfred brought A human element to the discussion. That's right. So I'm, I say this right here, so it's recorded and everybody knows that I've never repelled downwind.



That's not my, where I've come into this sector. You have many times. So Alfred's presentation yesterday was a fantastic video in the background as he spoke over it of himself, basically getting ready to drop over the hub and to send down a blade to do some work and all of the things that go into that.



While you were speaking about what's really happening with the technicians in the field. That was the diversion. That was the thing that was different than everybody else. Everybody's talking about high level engineering. This is what we do. You brought the human element. You said, this is what's going on with the techs in the field.



This is how long they're away from their families. This is the life cycle of a person in the field. This is how long they last. This is how we're losing good capacity. That's right. So you're bringing different story to this environment that was built. From what I talked to a lot of other people as well very well received.



Alfred Crabtree: Yeah. I've got a lot of good feedback and the human element is really integral to all these initiatives and ideas. We saw a lot of science, we saw a lot of data, which is great. And a lot of business and all of that hinges upon two hands that can execute grinds with the grinder. And so that was, the focus of my talk was to bring that back into the conversation about how we deal with these problems we're facing.



Joel Saxum: So we know we have a shortage of technicians, From the general wind technician to the specific people that worry about different problems. Hey, we're talking blades here, right? We know we have that shortage. Can you talk to us a little bit about that life cycle of that person in the industry?



Alfred Crabtree: Sure, sure.



On average the life cycle of a blade repair technician is about five years.