Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2019)

T

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: OFFSHORE WIND

Joan Bondareff is of counsel in Blank Rome’s Washington, D.C., of? ce who focuses her practice on marine trans- portation, environmental, regulatory, renewable energy, and legislative issues. She currently serves as Chair of the

Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority (VOWDA), an appointment by Virginia Governors Terry McAuliffe and

Ralph Northam, where she promotes offshore wind and renewable energy for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dana Merkel is an associate at Blank Rome LLP and prior to joining Blank Rome, she worked through the Inter- national Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots as a Third Mate and Quali? ed Member of the Engine Department (QMED) for several international shipping companies in the container, dry bulk, and tanker segments of the industry.

New Offshore Wind Jobs:

Industry, Schools Must Prepare Now he offshore wind industry in tion (“GWO”), a non-pro? t founded by programs for offshore wind training and sociations. $200,000 of the awards made the United States is growing wind turbine manufacturers and opera- development programs. The Maryland by Massachusetts came from this fund. exponentially, with multiple tors. GWO created training standards are Energy Administration introduced the Ørsted and Eversource, partners in the

Tprojects in the development implemented and taught by GWO-cer- Maryland Offshore Wind Workforce Sunrise Wind development, have also stages off of the Atlantic coast. The total ti? ed training providers. Currently six Training Program, which provides grant committed to contribute $10 million to megawatt capacity of U.S. offshore wind trainings are available, including: Basic funding to training centers to “ensure create a National Workforce Training farms is anticipated to reach 22,000 by Safety, Basic Technical, Advanced Res- Maryland has a ready and able work- Center in New York with Suffolk Coun- 2030 and 43,000 by 2050. To support cue, Enhanced First Aid, Blade Repair, force capable of contributing to the con- ty Community College and leading labor this growth, U.S. Department of Energy and Slinger Signaller. As these training struction, installation, and operations & unions. reports estimate over 40,000 new jobs classes have been critically reviewed maintenance of an offshore wind energy will be created by 2030. by the worldwide offshore wind indus- project.” The program has a budget of • Offshore Windfarm Training for the

The new jobs anticipated to support the try and mandated as the baseline safety $1.2 million for 2020. Seafarer offshore wind industry include a wide training for employees of numerous in- Massachusetts awarded $721,500 ear- A maritime industry trained and ready range of types, including engineers, ternationally operating offshore wind op- lier this year to six academic institutions to engage in offshore wind farm con- trade workers, surveyors, scientists, eration and support companies, they are for offshore wind workforce training struction is necessary to facilitate off- technicians, managers, and seafarers. an important baseline for development and development programs. One of the shore wind development. Although a

Wind turbine technician has been one of U.S. trainings. Although the baseline recipients is the Massachusetts Maritime number of colleges and unions are pro- of the fastest growing occupations in the GWO trainings may be suf? cient for Academy, which put the award towards viding classes and training on various

United States in recent years. The edu- some of the anticipated new positions, funding construction of an offshore wind aspects of offshore wind farm work, cational requirements for these new jobs most will require some type of addition- crew transfer training facility and estab- Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the also varies widely from high school di- al education, such as trade school cer- lishing the GWO courses. The Academy only maritime school thus far creating ploma to Ph.D. There is a growing con- ti? cates, undergraduate degrees, or even aims to be the ? rst institution in the Unit- courses and building resources speci? c cern that the United States will not have post-graduate level degrees. ed States to offer the GWO courses. to the seafarers’ role in this growing in- a suf? ciently trained workforce capable New York is working with the private dustry. Course development focused to support offshore wind farm develop- Education and Development of the industry to create an Offshore Wind on offshore wind farm work and fund- ment, construction, and maintenance. A Offshore Wind Workforce Training Institute and created a $3 mil- ing at other maritime colleges and trade recent Department of Energy study fo- • Investment in Workforce Development lion Community and Workforce Bene? ts schools is critically needed to ensure cused on the Wind Energy Workforce in Concerned about the forecasted lack Fund to provide New Yorkers with the the availability of capable, experienced the United States highlighted the work- of U.S. citizens quali? ed to ? ll the pro- skills and safety training needed to par- seafarers to support a growing offshore force gap issue. Although focused on jected offshore wind jobs, the United ticipate in the offshore wind industry. wind industry. The Maritime Adminis- land-based wind farms, the study identi- States and a number of states, as well Finally, private offshore wind farm de- tration should take the lead in creating a ? ed signi? cant gaps in wind and renew- as offshore wind developers have been velopers are investing in the education new curriculum for offshore wind work- able energy educational programs and taking action to invest in the education and development of their own future ers with training at Kings Point and the hiring percentages from those programs. and development of a quali? ed offshore workforces in the United States. Off- six state schools. MARAD should also wind workforce. Federally, the Offshore shore wind developer Vineyard Wind’s engage with Congress on the Job Act

Development of Training and Safety Wind Jobs and Opportunity Act (the Job Windward Workforce program will to add a component for maritime work-

Standards for Offshore Wind Act) was introduced this year and is cur- “recruit, mentor, and train residents of ers and funding for their training at the

The ? rst step in ensuring a quali? ed rently pending in Congress. The Job Act Massachusetts, particularly southeast above institutions. The U.S. Offshore workforce is determining what topics would provide up to $25 million in fed- Massachusetts, for careers in the Com- Wind industry is growing and seafarers should be taught and what standards eral grants to colleges, unions, and non- monwealth’s new offshore wind indus- and their benefactors should take advan- should apply. Many offshore wind com- pro? ts to prepare “a new generation of try.” With $2 million dedicated to the tage of this growth with new programs panies mandate use of training standards offshore wind workers.” program, it will be a partnership with graduating mariners ready to take on this developed by the Global Wind Organisa- A number of states have also developed vocational schools, universities, and as- role. 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • NOVEMBER 2019

MR #11 (18-25).indd 20 10/29/2019 12:53:42 PM