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First cohort of military service leaders complete Scottish wind energy transition course
11/5/2026
News
Scottish company Aurora Energy Services has begun training military service leavers to be ‘site ready’ to take up posts in the UK wind sector.
It is delivered at Aurora’s renewable energy training centre in Inverness.
Two of the participants on the seven-week ‘military to wind’ pilot programme – which is supported by industry training bodies – have already been offered jobs, according to the company.
The pilot programme aligns with broader efforts from government and industry bodies to support a workforce transition. It was jointly funded by the Ministry of Defence and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), which played a key role in shaping the course standards.
Participants are selected from service leavers with an existing Level 3 engineering background – mechanical, electrical or instrumentation.
‘The qualities service leavers bring – discipline, attention to detail, safety awareness, technical competence and the ability to perform in demanding environments – are exactly what the wind industry needs’, explained Andy Elrod, Director of Training, Aurora Energy Services. ‘Applicants completing the course will be site-ready so they can go out and be gainfully employed in roles including pre-assembly construction, and operations and maintenance.’
Participants undergo Global Wind Organisation (GWO) training, advanced rescue and safety certifications, and ECITB-accredited competencies, alongside additional modules covering wind turbine safety rules and technical theory.
The programme includes a defined employment pathway. Each successful participant is guaranteed a job interview with Aurora and other companies from a growing network of partners.
Declan Paterson, 33, served 13 years with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corp (REME) as a recovery mechanic. He recently started as a lifting technician at Aurora after completing the course. He said: ‘My background is recovery and cranes and that was always something I was looking for… The quality of [the course’s] training shone through... and the fact that you gain five or six qualifications was an important factor.’
Another course participant, Jason McLaughin, added: ‘As someone transitioning from a 20+ year career in the military, one of the biggest challenges I found entering the wind industry was simply getting in front of employers. [This] programme has completely changed that. It’s not just training – it provides direct access to employers and guaranteed interview opportunities, which is something that’s very difficult to achieve as a new entrant.’
Aurora is now exploring partnerships and funding with regional and industry bodies to support future cohorts. The vision is that the template could be rolled out by ECITB as a nationally recognised pathway into the wind sector for service leavers.
