MyTec Wind Challenge
Over 200 students from Kennemer College, Technisch College Velsen, Spaarne College and Haarlem College will participate in the Wind Challenge, organized by Nova College's MyTec program, on Wednesday, May 25 and June 8, 2022. Students will be introduced to sustainable wind energy in a fun and active way during the Wind Challenge with the goal of getting students interested in a career in wind engineering. The Wind Challenge was kicked off by Brigitte van den Berg, Beverwijk alderman.
Wind engineers are in high demand. Rosalie van Casteren of Techport company Vattenfall Wind is one of the judges in this year's Wind Challenge: "In five to ten years, thousands of jobs will be created in the wind turbine sector. The largest offshore wind farm will be off IJmuiden, and those wind turbines will be maintained on the water and on shore by qualified technicians. As of yet, there are only three courses in the Netherlands aimed at training turbine technicians, and the MyTec course at Nova College is one of them. It is important to raise awareness of these courses so that more and more young people choose a career in wind engineering. Vattenfall's ambition is to make a fossil-free life possible within a generation. That is possible with the right people in the right place."
MyTec Wind Challenge
At the Beverwijk Campus,3rd year secondary school students are introduced to the course, explained the work of a turbine technician and challenged to think about the shape of a wind turbine's blades and the effect on the yield of electricity. During a preparatory theory lesson at their own school, students already think about improvements they can do to the blades of a basic wind turbine. In the huge MyTec wind tunnel, in which their wind turbine will be attached, they can measure their self-modified blades in five different wind speeds.
In the process, speeds reach up to 40 km per hour. In addition to the technical measurements, a panel of judges looks at the originality of the homemade blades. Finally, they also play a game of "leaf blower soccer" to experience the power of wind for themselves.
For students, by students
The different teams compete against each other in three time slots during the Wind Challenge. The results of the measurements in the wind tunnel and the leaf-blower soccer together determine the winner. The aspiring students who will start the MyTec course next school year will also participate; this way they will already get to know the course a little. During the Wind Challenge, the students also get to meet the MyTec students, who help with the various workshops. This way they get to hear the real story from students who are already taking the course.
And that is important according to training manager Erdogan Öztürk: "The MyTec training provides a solid foundation for an interesting career in wind and sustainability technology. Together with the MyTec Companies Foundation, we train professionals with a broad base in mechanical, electrical and operational engineering and specialized knowledge, who can design, build, maintain and modify installations. MyTec is the education for technicians of the future. And that future is closer than you think. After all, developments in technology are moving at a rapid pace. This makes engineering increasingly challenging. It also creates new professions in, for example, wind and solar technology. Smart Maintenance is another such new field. To solve the major (environmental) issues of today and tomorrow, you learn to apply techniques such as mechanics, electrical engineering, control engineering and operational engineering in conjunction."
In addition to a real jury, this year Brigitte van den Berg, Beverwijk alderman, whose portfolios include Accessibility & Infrastructure and Education, will join the Challenge. Brigitte: "We are very proud of our bustling IJmond region. The only future is green and clean and therefore we have to move towards green energy. Because that is essential for a green future of for example Tata Steel but also all those other companies in IJmond. We need people who understand that. This Wind Challenge is the perfect opportunity for young people to get acquainted with clean energy, to learn what wind can do, how you make wind turbines but also what the power of wind is. We hope by doing so to inspire them to pursue an education at Nova College in the field of sustainability."