As part of its commitment to skills development and youth employment, Nordex Energy South Africa has inducted a new group of interns into its national wind power internship programme. This follows the successful completion of the inaugural training programme and full absorption of all participants from that first intake, each of whom has been permanently employed by the company.
Lubabalo Vandala, one of the graduates of the first intake of interns, now works at Copperton Wind Farm.
Launched in November 2023, the 18-month internship programme is a strategic investment in building the country’s skilled workforce, specifically, skilled wind turbine service technicians. Aligned to national energy goals, the programme provides young engineers – qualified in electrical, mechanical, or mechatronics disciplines – with critical workplace experience at Nordex-operated wind farms around the country.
Lubabalo Vandala, a graduate of the first cohort in the internship programme and now a Service Technician at Copperton Wind Farm said: “Having a mentor and being able to work alongside other technicians gave us a broader perspective and practical understanding of fault analysis. This programme has opened doors for us – we’re now excited about growing within this industry.”
With South Africa’s renewable energy build-out accelerating, the demand for skilled technicians is growing, as is the deployment of larger, more advanced wind turbine technologies. By investing in local skills, OEMs like Nordex are supporting job creation and the sector’s resilience.
To source candidates for the second intake, Nordex adopted a new peer-referral model – calling on experienced technicians to nominate candidates from within their professional networks. This approach has helped identify individuals with a strong fit for the sector’s demanding fieldwork and team dynamics.
The new intake of seven interns began their placements in June 2025, starting with technical and safety training before joining site-based service teams under the guidance of assigned mentors. Interns are immersed in turbine operations, including troubleshooting, maintenance, warehouse logistics, and technical presentations on key wind systems such as condition monitoring systems (CMS), pitch and yaw systems, and energy conversion technologies.
“The impact of the mentor-intern interactions has been significant. We’ve seen a direct link between strong mentor engagement and intern development,” said Zelrese Brair, Head of People & Culture at Nordex Energy South Africa. “Several interns from the first cohort were selected early on for advanced tasks, based on performance and potential.”
Aidan Swartz, former intern and now a Service Technician at Roggeveld Wind Farm, reflected on what he learned. “This internship set a strong foundation for my career. I received on-the-job training and technical instruction from experts, which gave me a deep understanding of turbine systems. I wouldn’t have had that exposure had I taken a different path in the electrical field.”
Performance monitoring and feedback loops have enabled continuous refinement of the programme. Notably, site-specific placements (rather than rotational ones) and targeted support have improved the interns’ experience as well as operational continuity.
The programme places interns across wind farms in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces, including Garob, Amakhala, Roggeveld, Copperton, and Dorper wind farms.
For more information visit: www.nordex.co.za