Where are the wind energy jobs?

[r.rackstraw]

According to Scottish Renewables in yesterday's P&J, onshore wind energy employs 3,400 people in Scotland. We seem to have our share of wind farms up here so we must have a share of the jobs. Right?
But then I thought - do I know actually know anyone who has a wind energy job in Caithness? No I don't, apart from someone who was paid by a developer to count birdies for a few days.
Someone is telling us porkies I think.
Do Orgers know of anyone who has a wind energy job in Caithness?

[Mik.M.]

I think the only people who earn anything from the windmills up here are the landowners and the birdie man you already mentioned.

[Gronnuck]

There are people staying at various hotels in and around Caithness who are working on the new windfarms. I do believe the Brown Trout in Watten has a few.

[mi16]

They don't build themselves do they?

[Tubthumper]

Bearing in mind the kind of anti-windfarm fruicakes we get posting on here it's hardly surprising you don't know any wind workers. If I worked in the industry I wouldn't broadcast it. The turbines don't maintain themselves either, do they?

[Big Gaz]

They don't build themselves do they?

No, and neither do locals.

Wathegar wind farm was full of foreign workers. Even the onsite management bar for a few Scots were English or foreign. In all the times i visited there, i never met a local person. As for the 3500+ jobs that were created, they certainly weren't created in Caithness or Sutherland!

[Green_not_greed]

According to Scottish Renewables in yesterday's P&J, onshore wind energy employs 3,400 people in Scotland. We seem to have our share of wind farms up here so we must have a share of the jobs. Right?
But then I thought - do I know actually know anyone who has a wind energy job in Caithness? No I don't, apart from someone who was paid by a developer to count birdies for a few days.
Someone is telling us porkies I think.
Do Orgers know of anyone who has a wind energy job in Caithness?

There are a few vans in the area with wind energy logos (eg Vestas) which must be driven by those in the industry. I know of at least one in Thurso. Then there's at least one person I know who works as a wind farm manager. I don't think the job numbers are very big but there are definitely people in full time wind industry employment in Caithness. I would guess up to 20 such jobs in Caithness, though that is purely a guess.

[mi16]

No, and neither do locals. Wathegar wind farm was full of foreign workers. Even the onsite management bar for a few Scots were English or foreign. In all the times i visited there, i never met a local person. As for the 3500+ jobs that were created, they certainly weren't created in Caithness or Sutherland!

Just because they didn't speak with a Scottish accent didn't mean they were not residents of Scotland Your post stinks of racism

[Tangerine-Dream]

According to Scottish Renewables in yesterday's P&J, onshore wind energy employs 3,400 people in Scotland. We seem to have our share of wind farms up here so we must have a share of the jobs. Right?
But then I thought - do I know actually know anyone who has a wind energy job in Caithness? No I don't, apart from someone who was paid by a developer to count birdies for a few days.
Someone is telling us porkies I think.
Do Orgers know of anyone who has a wind energy job in Caithness?

Didn't you know that your average "bill payer" is subsidising the multi millionaire windmill erector?

Green my "ass"!

We are being financially raped by the powers that be..... nothing new there.

[Tangerine-Dream]

And may I add, if Scotland does happen to go independent, we will be in deep finding the funds to pay off the green energy Millionaires their "subsidies"

[ywindythesecond]

Bearing in mind the kind of anti-windfarm fruicakes we get posting on here it's hardly surprising you don't know any wind workers. If I worked in the industry I wouldn't broadcast it. The turbines don't maintain themselves either, do they?

And I love you too Tubs.
A few years ago I went on an outing to see archaeology alongside the new Causeymire Windfarm and it included a visit to a turbine.
At the turbine there was a very nervous turbine operative because he knew there were people in the party who were not friends of wind energy. Bit he explained his job and the workings of the machine very well and was clearly happy with the job he was doing.
Among other things he explained was that, and my memory fails me on this, there were two, or possibly three, employees on the windfarm.
He explained that control of the operation was done remotely, I think from Denmark, and that at that time, Causeymire had never been shut down for too high wind reasons.

[Big Gaz]

Just because they didn't speak with a Scottish accent didn't mean they were not residents of Scotland Your post stinks of racism

You weren't there, you didn't see anything,you didn't hear any of them speak nor did you see them drive their foreign named and liveried company vehicles with the steering wheel on the other side and foreign number plates on them!. Therefore, as per usual, you don't know jack and until you do, go accuse someone else of being a racist!
Next time i'm doing some work round here and i see any "foreign" workers, i'll be sure to let you know so you can scurry down and ask them all if they have valid residence permits, appropriate national insurance numbers and working visas.....then again, that might be considered racist by some on here.

[mi16]

You weren't there, you didn't see anything,you didn't hear any of them speak nor did you see them drive their foreign named and liveried company vehicles with the steering wheel on the other side and foreign number plates on them!. Therefore, as per usual, you don't know jack and until you do, go accuse someone else of being a racist!
Next time i'm doing some work round here and i see any "foreign" workers, i'll be sure to let you know so you can scurry down and ask them all if they have valid residence permits, appropriate national insurance numbers and working visas.....then again, that might be considered racist by some on here.

For the record I am in no way suggesting you are racist, however your post reads like you have an issue with the non Scots workforce which could be interpreted as beign racist.
Why exactly do you have a problem with English or other non Scottish workers constructing a wind farm in Scotland?
As I am sure you are aware contracts of this scale are advertised in the European journal where any company can tender for the work, if a non UK company submitted the best tender then so be it, its the UK companies problem and they wil need to sharpen their pencils to become a touch more competitive.

Back on track I have seen many UK companies benifit from the windfarm industry, be it the agent, groundworks, security, quarrying, haulage, landowner or whatever.

[ywindythesecond]

For the record I am in no way suggesting you are racist, however your post reads like you have an issue with the non Scots workforce which could be interpreted as beign racist.
Why exactly do you have a problem with English or other non Scottish workers constructing a wind farm in Scotland?
As I am sure you are aware contracts of this scale are advertised in the European journal where any company can tender for the work, if a non UK company submitted the best tender then so be it, its the UK companies problem and they wil need to sharpen their pencils to become a touch more competitive.

Back on track I have seen many UK companies benifit from the windfarm industry, be it the agent, groundworks, security, quarrying, haulage, landowner or whatever.

I suggest you go back and read Post #1.That is what Big Gaz responded to in a perfectly reasonable manner. Simply by pointing out that someone is foreign is not racist, it is fact. There was no justification for you posting "Your post stinks of racism " and you should apologise rather than try to slither out of it.

[bounce]

some people have big chip on their shoulderI think its called self pity (get a life)

[mi16]

I suggest you go back and read Post #1.That is what Big Gaz responded to in a perfectly reasonable manner. Simply by pointing out that someone is foreign is not racist, it is fact. There was no justification for you posting "Your post stinks of racism " and you should apologise rather than try to slither out of it.

A foreign person employed in Scotland is still a Scottish job.Their nationality is irrelevant

[Tubthumper]

... you should apologise rather than try to slither out of it.

Hah!!!!!!!!!

[webmannie]

Big Gaz,

I vowed to not jump into conversations on this topic, but in defence of the fine bunch of people that worked on the project...I'm calling you out on this.....If there was a Jack, it was their middle name or not called by it!

The management team at Wathegar were ALL Scottish, i know as i represented the client. Apart from the wind turbine installers, supplied by the manufacturer, because it is their responsibility to install and commission. Of course these people will be from the manufacturers workforce, they are specially trained in what they do! And a damn fine bunch they were as well.

All other work was carried out by people working and living in the UK...in particular Caithness, not that it matters one iota!

[Big Gaz]

There still hasn't been any NEW jobs created and maintained other than the few engineers and maintenance posts. Everyone else who worked on those sites were already employed and have gone back home or on to other sites and jobs with their company so as for 3500 Scottish jobs being created....well, Salmond is known for his fantasies....

"jack" was shortened from "jack sh*t", as in mi6 knows nothing or knows jack sh*t, not as in i know a person named jack.

I have no doubt the lads in any of the windfarm construction projects, whatever nationality they are, are all highly trained and respected and are a good bunch of lads, i never said anything different or to the contrary in my post and merely pointed out the fact that many were from abroad and were obviously not there due to the "3500 jobs created"

I also got Camster and Wathegar mixed up, i only took rock into Wathegar and had no contact with the guys in the RJ Mcleod huts on the right about a mile in but i was in Camster a lot with rock and other business and was in contact with the lads in there hence why i know they weren't locals.

As it is, I really don't give a toss where they came from, what language they speak or what colour of skin they have. I have never complained that they are taking our jobs or even the fact that they are living here too as i have worked and lived abroad for many years myself but nowhere in the world did i get such a reception as i did when i was working in England. I left there because of the racism! i was sick of being treated like crap and suffering constantly from the abuse and name calling and other abusive and racist names all the while making my job more difficult by taking paperwork, keys, messing things around, changing labels etc all the time trying to drop me in the deepest hole possible and all because i wasn't English!!. As per before, i never said nor am i implying all the English were like that. I do have many English, Welsh and a couple Irish friends and keep in touch but the shower i was working with, well there were enough racist idiots to make me want to come back to Scotland....Shame really because it was a good paying job that i liked.

But not that anything above matters one iota compared to being called a racist but hey, on here people think they know everything and everyone.