Bristol Community College announces global offshore wind training partnership

PROVIDENCE – Bristol Community College has announced a partnership with Maersk Training, an international offshore wind farm training organization based in Denmark.

Bristol Community College is home to the National Offshore Wind Institute, offering workforce training for jobs in wind-farm related fields such as construction, deployment and operations. The college has four locations, including Fall River and New Bedford.

“This partnership will connect the college’s faculty and staff with the expertise of industry experts throughout Maersk Training’s expansive global network and will strengthen the development of employment opportunities for Bristol students in the offshore wind supply chain,” said Laura L. Douglas, president of Bristol Community College, in a statement.

The collaboration is the next step in getting the institute basic safety training and basic technical training programs certified by the Global Wind Organization. The Global Wind Organization is a nonprofit founded by turbine manufacturers and owner-operators to create a safer workplace.

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“Having a local workforce that has a strong level of competencies, technical skills and safety, that drives operational and safety performance, is essential for the industry and the success of these projects,” said Johan Uggla, CEO, Maersk Training. “This is an important milestone that supports creating further job opportunities and being a strong provider for the local economy.”

Maersk Training is part of A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, a company that has been in the U.S. for many years focusing on shipping, ports and logistics.

The institute’s basic safety training modules include first aid, fire awareness, working at heights, and sea survival; basic technical training courses focus on hydraulics and mechanical and electrical concepts regarding offshore wind.

According to the college, the partnership will help establish the skills-development training for the institute and the new Global Wing Organization courses it will offer. The college is also offering certificate- and associate-level programs for students to become offshore wind power technicians, which focuses on electrical machinery and materials science.

According to the college, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates 43,000 new jobs will be created in the offshore wind market by 2030. A Massachusetts Clean Energy Center study estimated that over the next decade, offshore wind farms will create nearly 3,000 jobs and generate economic impacts between $1.2 billion and $2.1 billion in the region.

Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.