Niall encourages engineering professionals to embrace winds of change

Thursday 24th September 2026

An award winning former Forth Valley College student, is encouraging engineering professionals looking to transition to the renewables sector to seriously consider applying for the new Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician Cross-Skill course, at the College’s Falkirk Campus.

Niall Gibb (38) from Edinburgh, completed the six-week FVC pilot programme of the course, in May 2025. It provided the recognised bridge for Niall – who had previously worked for 12 years in offshore oil and gas to offshore wind.

He is now an Offshore Service Lead with GE Vernova on Dogger Bank - the world's largest offshore wind farm - managing the day-to-day service and maintenance operation from a service operation vessel and coordinating around 60 technicians.

Niall was recognized at a national level recently by winning the Personal Improvement Award at the Scottish Renewables' 2026 Young Professionals Green Energy Awards and has joined the ECITB Innov8 Board becoming an established advocate for practical pathways into the renewables workforce. Niall is pictured here at the awards with his GE Vernova colleague Thomas Bradley who is Site Operations Manager of Doggerbank, and also on his control vessel while offshore.

He has also been invited to speak at the UK Parliament, at two Scottish Renewables engagements and at Floating Offshore Wind 2026, sharing what workforce transition looks like in practice with MPs, members of the House of Lords and industry leaders. He has also supported ECITB's Connected Competence work to promote credible routes into technical renewable-energy careers.

No one can argue he is well placed to give advice on the best ways to transition from the oil and gas industry to renewables, and he was happy to share his journey recently. A full FVC case study on Niall can be found here https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/case-studies/niall-gibb .

To find out more about the new FVC/ECITB Wind Turbine course – which is set to start in early October - and how to register interest in applying, visit Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician Cross Skill Programme - ECITB

Niall said: “As a qualified electrical technician, I was cross-skilled in mechanical and instrumentation and control activities, including hydraulics, pumps, mechanical joints, flow measurement, control valves and small-bore tubing. The programme was the catalyst for my move into offshore wind. It took the competence I had developed in oil and gas and placed it within a recognised wind-industry framework. This gave employers confidence in my offshore experience and technical foundation while addressing the genuine gaps in turbine systems, wind-specific safety and multi-skilled maintenance.

“I now work for GE Vernova as Offshore Service Lead on Dogger Bank, the world's largest offshore wind farm. Based onboard the service operation vessel, I manage and direct the day-to-day service and maintenance operation and coordinate a workforce of around 60 technicians.

“The training and support from Forth Valley College was excellent and directly relevant to the transition we were trying to make. The programme respected the fact that we were already experienced, time-served technicians. It tested our current competence, built on it and focused on the knowledge and practical skills that were genuinely new.

“The balance of technical learning, hands-on activities, GWO training and turbine familiarisation made the course credible. The instructors created an environment where we could ask questions, challenge our existing thinking and learn from technicians from other disciplines. That was particularly valuable for me because it developed my mechanical and instrumentation and control understanding rather than keeping me within an electrical silo.

“Many experienced people are new to wind, but they are not new to engineering, offshore work or safety-critical operations. This programme makes that distinction. It recognises existing competence through ‘Connected Competence’ and adds targeted wind-specific technical and safety training without lowering standards or asking experienced technicians to repeat everything they already know.

“It gives employers clear evidence that a candidate has been properly assessed and has addressed the gaps required to work safely and effectively on a wind asset. My own career is strong evidence of what the route can achieve: the programme led directly to my first role in offshore wind and created the foundation for very rapid progression into operational leadership.

“The advice I would give to anyone thinking about doing this course would be having a proactive and approaching it with an open mind. Do not undersell the value of your existing experience, but do not assume that experience means there is nothing new to learn. Wind has different terminology, systems, safety rules and ways of working, and multi-skilling is central to many technician roles.

“I took unpaid leave to complete the pilot because I believed a credible route into wind was worth the investment. Engage fully with every discipline, ask questions and use the experience of the people around you. The course can create the opportunity, but you still need to show employers that you are adaptable, willing to learn and ready to apply your experience in a different environment. Do not wait for the industry to push you; take control of the next stage of your career.

On his recent award and other achievements since leaving FVC he said: “I am extremely proud of the recognition of winning the Personal Improvement Award at the Scottish Renewables' 2026 Young Professionals Green Energy Awards, because it validates both the decision to change industries and the work I have put into developing quickly since making the move. It also reflects the support I received from the ECITB, Forth Valley College, my mentors, colleagues and the people who gave me opportunities within the wind industry.

“The award has given greater credibility to the message I care about most: experienced technicians can make a successful transition when existing competence is recognised and genuine skills gaps are addressed properly. The course changed the direction of my career, and I now have an opportunity through Innov8, public speaking and my operational role to help make that pathway clearer for others.”

The six-week ECITB Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician Cross-Skill Pilot Programme was developed by the ECITB in partnership with Global Wind Organisation and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, and it is aligned to Level 3 / SCQF 6, this is the level that most modern technical apprenticeships are completed to.

The course covers: wind turbine safety rules, GWO Basic Technical Training, Slinger Signaller, enhanced first aid, working at height, manual handling, fire awareness and sea survival. Further learning will cover wind-industry awareness, SCADA, HV switchgear and condition monitoring, followed by practical turbine familiarisation at ORE Catapult's Levenmouth demonstration turbine.

Caroline Hogg, Head of Apprenticeships in FVC’s Department of Apprenticeships, Skills and Commercial, said: “Niall’s award-winning journey demonstrates exactly what can be achieved when talent, experience and the right training come together. His progression from offshore oil and gas into a leadership role on one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms highlights the opportunities available to skilled professionals looking to transition into renewables. At Forth Valley College, we are proud to work with ECITB to provide programmes like the Wind Turbine Cross Skilling Programme that open doors to new careers, address industry skills needs and support Scotland’s journey to a net zero future.”