Intercollegiate competitions organized in Izmir aim to attract young people to careers in the wind energy sector to meet the ever-growing need for a qualified workforce.
One example was the Wind Hunters event organized by a partnership between the BEST For Energy Project team and Turkish renewable energy company Vega Energy. Sixteen teams from different universities in Izmir and leading companies in the clean energy sector in the region convened at Vega Energy's Cesme Wind Power Plant.
A technical tour at the power plant introduced participants to wind energy through competitive team challenges. The Windbenders team from Izmir Katip Celebi University won the Escape From the Turbine game as the first team to solve all puzzles in the competition in the shortest time.
- 'Clean energy is a must for Türkiye'
The Energy Industrialists and Businessmen Association (ENSIA) Chairman Alper Kalayci urged young people to put the clean energy sector at the forefront of their career plans as a sizable skilled workforce is needed in this rapidly growing clean energy sector in Türkiye.
Erman Kaya, the general manager of Vega Energy, said the innovative practice of organizing competitions was successful in attracting students while raising awareness of this sector.
'We received 100 people right away when we announced the games and our quota was filled in just two days. The students are very curious about wind energy, so we try to keep our doors open to keep this curiousness alive as much as we can,' Kaya said.
The vast clean energy resources, which are concentrated in the Aegean region dubbed 'the capital of wind', are indispensable for Türkiye, Kaya noted.
'The students have the opportunity to become stakeholders in this sector. Therefore, it is time for us to increase renewable generation and make use of our domestic sources for future generations,' he said.
The European Commission, within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, supports the BEST For Energy (Boosting Effective and Sustainable Transformation for Energy) Project.
Izmir Development Agency (IZKA), along with ENSIA, launched the project in the third quarter of 2020 to promote green energy growth through environmental-focused sustainable economic development goals.
Within the scope of the project, nine events for university students have been held, including field trips, training, discussion panels and webinars.
By Ebru Sengul Cevrioglu
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr