Rope access technician working on the outside of a wind turbine tower

GWO Training Courses

Global Wind Organisation (GWO) safety and technical training for wind-industry work, delivered by our training partner Novikontas in Klaipėda and Riga.

Book GWO Training With Our Partner Novikontas

Novikontas delivers the GWO courses described on this page at its training centres in Klaipėda, Lithuania, and Riga, Latvia. Gridinta directs interested candidates to the training provider; course dates, fees, entry requirements, assessment arrangements and WINDA record upload should be confirmed with Novikontas before booking.

VIEW GWO COURSES

GWO Courses Listed by Novikontas

On 18 October 2026, the Novikontas GWO catalogue listed these course groups:

GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) Full Onshore: Working at Height including R-ALF, First Aid, Manual Handling and Fire Awareness. Four days at the training centre, or two working days with digital delivery (e-learning plus practice at the centre).
GWO BST Full Offshore: the four onshore modules plus Sea Survival including boat transfer. Five days at the centre, or three working days with digital delivery.
Single BST modules and refreshers: each Basic Safety module can be booked separately, and Basic Safety Refresher (BSTR) courses are listed for single modules and for full onshore and offshore packages.
GWO Basic Technical Training (BTT): Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulic, Bolt Tightening and Installation modules, also offered as combined three-, four- and five-module courses.
GWO Advanced Rescue Training (ART): Hub rescue, Nacelle rescue or both combined, with matching refresher courses.
GWO Blade Repair: a nine-day course for composite inspection and repair work.
Other GWO courses: Enhanced First Aid, Slinger Signaller, Service Lift User and Wind Limited Access.

Klaipėda and Riga both appear as locations on the Novikontas Basic Safety, Basic Technical, Advanced Rescue and Blade Repair course pages. Formats, durations and locations can change, so check the course page for your chosen dates.

What GWO Basic Safety Training Covers

The GWO Basic Safety Training standard (version 20, dated 10 March 2026) contains five subjects, each with an initial and a refresher module: First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Height and Sea Survival.

Sea Survival addresses offshore work, which is why the Novikontas onshore package contains the other four modules and the offshore package adds Sea Survival including boat transfer. A course completion record shows which modules were completed; it is not a licence for every wind-turbine task. The employer or project still checks trade competence, medical fitness and site-specific requirements.

Technical, Rescue and Blade Repair Training

Basic Technical Training (BTT), version 11, includes Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulic, Bolt Tightening, Installation Mechanical, Installation Electrical and Hazardous Energies Basic Safety modules. GWO allows the modules to be delivered separately or combined.

Advanced Rescue Training (ART), version 6, covers Hub, Spinner and Inside Blade Rescue and Nacelle, Tower and Basement Rescue, each with initial and refresher training. Novikontas lists valid WINDA records for BST Working at Height, First Aid and Manual Handling as entry requirements for its ART course.

Blade Repair, version 6, covers inspection, documentation and repair of glass-fibre composite parts within defined limits: laminate repairs affecting up to five layers (maximum 500 cm²), core material replacement up to 200 cm², and surface repair to paint and gelcoat. Repair work on a real turbine is carried out to the manufacturer's or client's repair specification.

Certificate Validity, Refreshers and WINDA

After a completed course, the training provider uploads the training record to WINDA, the GWO training record database. Novikontas states that each participant needs a WINDA ID, which is obtained by registering on the WINDA website.

Novikontas lists these validity periods on its course pages:

Basic Safety Training: two years
Advanced Rescue Training: two years
Basic Technical Training: unlimited
Blade Repair: unlimited

Modules with a limited validity are renewed through refresher training before the existing record expires. WINDA notifies record owners by email when a record is about to expire. If a record has already expired, ask Novikontas whether a refresher is still possible or initial training is needed.

GWO Standards Changed in 2026

On 10 March 2026, GWO published updated versions of eight training standards: Basic Safety Training, Advanced Rescue Training, Enhanced First Aid, Wind Limited Access, Control of Hazardous Energies, Basic Technical Training, Blade Repair and Instructor Qualification Training.

Refresher training for Basic Safety, Advanced Rescue, Enhanced First Aid and Control of Hazardous Energies is now published in the same standard as the initial training.
The combined Working at Height and Manual Handling module was removed from Basic Safety Training, and a Walk-to-Work lesson on motion-compensated gangways was added.
Basic safety content from Control of Hazardous Energies moved into BTT as the Hazardous Energies Basic Safety module.

A six-month grace period for the changes ended on 10 September 2026. After that date, GWO removed the previous refresher standard versions from its website. Ask the training provider which standard version a course follows.

GWO Training and Work in Wind Energy

Gridinta's current wind turbine technician vacancy on the careers page lists a GWO certificate among its requirements. Course completion does not guarantee a job offer, and each employer sets its own requirements for experience, trade qualifications and medical fitness.

GWO and IRATA are separate schemes: GWO covers selected wind-industry safety and technical training, while IRATA certifies rope access technicians across sectors. Read about IRATA training courses with the same partner, or the guide to GWO certification in wind energy. Gridinta's work on turbines is described on the onshore wind farm maintenance page.

Sources

The course list, locations and certificate validity periods below were checked on Novikontas course pages, and the GWO standard details on globalwindsafety.org, on 18 October 2026. Course pages and standards can change; the provider's current information takes precedence.

GWO Training Courses: FAQ

Does Gridinta deliver GWO training?

No. Novikontas delivers the GWO courses listed on this page, runs the training and uploads completed training records to WINDA. Gridinta provides information and directs candidates to the training provider.

Where do the GWO courses take place?

Novikontas lists Klaipėda, Lithuania, and Riga, Latvia, as locations on its GWO Basic Safety, Basic Technical, Advanced Rescue and Blade Repair course pages. Confirm the location for your chosen dates when booking.

What does GWO Basic Safety Training include?

The GWO Basic Safety Training standard covers First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Height and Sea Survival. The Novikontas onshore package includes the first four modules; the offshore package adds Sea Survival including boat transfer.

How long is a GWO certificate valid?

Novikontas states that its Basic Safety and Advanced Rescue certificates are valid for two years, while Basic Technical Training and Blade Repair certificates are listed as unlimited. Check the expiry date of each module in your WINDA record.

What is a WINDA ID and do I need one?

WINDA is the GWO database where training providers upload completed training records. Novikontas states that each participant needs a WINDA ID, which you get by registering on the WINDA website before the course.

What changed in the GWO standards in 2026?

GWO published updated versions of eight training standards effective 10 March 2026. Refresher training for Basic Safety, Advanced Rescue, Enhanced First Aid and Control of Hazardous Energies is now included in the same standard as the initial training. The six-month grace period ended on 10 September 2026.

Which GWO modules do I need for a wind job?

The employer, wind farm operator and client training matrix decide which modules a role requires. Check the vacancy or assignment requirements before booking, then confirm with Novikontas which courses cover them.

How much does GWO training cost and when are the next dates?

Gridinta does not publish training fees or schedules. Confirm current dates, fees, entry requirements and assessment arrangements directly with Novikontas before booking.

Can I take IRATA and GWO training with the same provider?

Novikontas lists both IRATA rope access courses and GWO courses. Gridinta's IRATA training page describes the IRATA levels; confirm the order and timing of courses with the training provider.