ICYMI: Offshore Wind Workforce Development Ramps Up Statewide

As Randy Walker with the Cardinal News recently wrote, “twenty-seven miles off the coast of Virginia stand two gigantic wind turbines, each taller than the Washington Monument.” Two-hundred-and-forty miles west of the Atlantic, Virginians for Offshore Wind member, the New College Institute (NCI), is training Virginia’s workforce for jobs in the offshore wind industry.

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project will be the largest offshore wind farm in the county when complete and will require a skilled workforce that is ready to fill available jobs.  

In response to the need for this skilled training, NCI started Virginia’s first wind technician training program certified by the Denmark-based Global Wind Organisation (GWO), and in 2021, NCI, Centura College, and Norfolk-based Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy opened their doors to the first training academy. The course covers everything from safety training to electrical and mechanical training. NCI’s Karen Jackson called this, “…a calculated move to put NCI on the map internationally, as well as nationally as a wind turbine training center.”

Dan Ortega, GWO’s North America representative said, “I have been extremely impressed with NCI’s level of cooperation with various other training providers. They always seem to be willing to help and don’t see everyone as a competitor.”

Read the full article in the Cardinal News on offshore wind workforce development HERE.

About Virginians For Offshore Wind: Virginias for Offshore Wind is a group of citizens and local organizations dedicated to promoting offshore wind in Virginia, including the clean energy transformation and economic opportunities that come with it. To learn more, visit www.virginiaosw.org.

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