On a mild afternoon last month, dozens of Rhode Island high school students shuffled aboard a two-level ferry, eager to see offshore wind turbines up close for the first time.
A new education program called Wind Win RI hopes to build a workforce pipeline for New England’s fast-emerging offshore wind industry by offering experiences like this field trip to the Block Island Wind Farm, a five-turbine wind farm about three miles off Rhode Island’s coast.
The offshore wind industry is expected to create 16,700 jobs in the Northeast by 2028. Rhode Island is already a leader in the nascent sector. The state’s second offshore wind farm, from Revolution Wind, is expected to start producing electricity by 2023…
Organizers also want to further develop and formalize relationships with post-secondary institutions like the New England Institute of Technology, the Community College of Rhode Island and the University of Rhode Island. Urbach will work with colleges to accept the high school certification and apply the credits to a degree program, while also building off or integrating some of their existing coursework.
The New England Institute of Technology, for example, is developing a career-mapping matrix for high school students. Henry Young, who oversees the school’s renewable energy program, said it will help students understand how their interests align with careers in wind energy projects. “We have to reach back to high school and middle schools to develop a pipeline of students,” he said…Click to read more
