Getting in shape for something bigger: Cherbourg’s new recruits

A few weeks ago, our first group of 30 newly-hired employees in Cherbourg, France, contributed to the launch of the plant’s Center of Excellence training facility. First, the team participated in a week of theoretical training, followed by a second week spent practicing on a real piece of a blade mold, inside the training center.

“We could feel the excitement when everyone started to practice on the mold,” said Sylvain Viau, the site training coordinator. “The new employees discovered what the manufacturing process was about and realized that they’ll have to work as a team to make these blades come to life. They are all proud to participate in this unique project, and it is priceless to see them motivated.”

Ramping up

In total, we’ve already recruited more than fifty people, and the first group of newcomers is undertaking a four-week training course in the Cherbourg plant Center of Excellence. They will then embark on a three-month placement abroad in another LM Wind Power factory – from Spain, to Denmark, Poland and even in Canada depending on the job scope.

To bring this valuable experience to the new plant, employees from our sites around the globe will also travel to Cherbourg to support the ramp up of the factory. All trainees will have to be ready for the start of the production and prototyping phase in January 2019, when the site will start manufacturing the 107-meter blade: the longest blade in the world to date, set to capture the wind for the most powerful turbine in the world, GE’s Haliade-X 12MW.

“This project entails an extra challenge as we are ramping up a new factory, with new infrastructure, new machinery and new people, combined with a new product introduction at a size we have never done before,” said Lukasz Cejrowski, LM 107.0 P Project Manager. “It is very important to combine all our efforts to prepare for the upcoming months. There is huge, positive excitement from everyone involved and especially from the Cherbourg team about starting up new factory and producing this giant blade.”

Building a talented team

Employees were hired through specific recruitment methods based on a range of skills, including their ability to work in a team, perform under time constraints, follow instructions and represent a rigorous process, as well as their personal motivation.

“To become an operator, you don’t need to have experience in the area: it's a new industry and this job doesn’t exist in France, yet,” said Erwan Le Floch, Cherbourg Plant Director. “We are therefore looking for all types of profiles – what matters is their motivation.”

Florence Martinez Flores, Cherbourg Director of Human Resources, confirmed: "Our experience in other LM Wind Power factories has proven that we can integrate employees no matter what their expertise or experiences are.”

The site aims to recruit and hire 100 people by the end of the year, and recruitment will ramp up in 2019 and 2020 to reach the full production capacity of 550 jobs.