Onboarding plan
Wind Turbine Technician Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new wind turbine technician from first day to full productivity.
Wind Turbine Technician onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: GWO Basic Safety Training, GWO Basic Technical Training (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: full-body harness, lanyards and descent devices; hydraulic torque and tension tools; multimeters and diagnostic laptops; SCADA monitoring systems
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Wind Turbine Technician training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Inspect fall protection before every climb and stay tied off
- Lock out the turbine and rotor before entering the hub or working on systems
- Respect wind speed limits for climbing and work
- Always work with a partner and know the rescue plan
- Shadow an experienced wind turbine technician through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: inspect a full-body harness before climbing
- Supervised practice: torque bolts to specification
- Supervised practice: troubleshoot a turbine fault using SCADA
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Climb towers and work at heights using fall protection: independently
- Perform scheduled inspections and preventive maintenance: independently
- Troubleshoot electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems: independently
- Replace components such as bearings, filters and sensors: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, GWO Basic Safety Training)
- Discuss the career path: Entry-Level Wind Technician → Wind Technician II or Lead Tech → Specialist
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect a Full-Body Harness Before Climbing | |||
| Torque Bolts to Specification | |||
| Troubleshoot a Turbine Fault Using SCADA | |||
| Working at heights and rescue | |||
| Electrical troubleshooting | |||
| Hydraulic and mechanical maintenance | |||
| Bolt torquing and tensioning |
How to measure onboarding success
- Weeks until the new hire works without close supervision
- Recordable incidents and near-misses in the first 90 days
- Rework caused by new-hire errors
- Apprentice retention through year one
How Wind Turbine Technician training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Wind Turbine Technician Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Wind Turbine Technician Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Wind Turbine Technician Career
- Final Knowledge Check