Crowley Maritime Corporation and Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) said Tuesday they'd create a first-of-its-kind training and workforce development program dedicated specifically to the New England region’s offshore wind energy industry.
The program will be certified by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non-profit that sets international standards for safety training. The academy will coordinate with Relyon Nutec, the world’s largest provider of specialized instruction for energy and industrial sectors, to deliver the courses.
“Crowley and MMA are leaders in the maritime industry, and the joint program will help us build the next generation employee serving in the offshore wind industry,” said Jeff Andreini, vice president, Crowley New Energy. “This partnership will provide workers the skills and knowledge they need, and together we help create cleaner energy sources in the U.S.”
In addition, Crowley said it would continue to provide scholarships, internships and hands-on learning for MMA cadets, including those at sea and at the recently created Maritime Center for Responsible Energy (MCRE) on the academy’s campus in Buzzards Bay, Mass.
Crowley Maritime Corporation and Massachusetts Maritime Academy also plan to will direct resources to create outreach programs and workforce development for underrepresented population groups, specifically in Massachusetts Gateway Cities.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, UK-based energy consultancy Xodus said it would team up with Browning the Green Space (BGS) coalition to create a workforce program aiming to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in the offshore wind industry across Massachusetts, USA.
The workforce program, which has received $140,000 of funding from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, includes a targeted community and education engagement campaign directed at high schools and community colleges in disadvantaged communities.
Target groups include people of color, indigenous people, women, students in vocational-technical education programs, and unemployed and low-income individuals.
Xodus cited a Massachusetts Clean Energy Center report on the workforce needs and economic impact of the emerging offshore wind industry, which found that the deployment of 1,600MW of offshore wind is estimated to support between 2,300 and 3,100 jobs over the next ten years and generate a total economic impact between $678 to $805 million.