SOURCE:
August 5, 2024
More than 200 community members gathered at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) August 2 to attend the Offshore Wind Industry Open House and Union Apprenticeship Awareness Day, which offered a unique opportunity to learn about career prospects in this growing field.
The event was hosted by Stony Brook University Economic Development in collaboration with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and with support from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and local labor unions.
Representatives from New York State Department of Public Service, New York State Department of State, Opportunities Long Island, United Way Long Island, Long Island Clean Energy Hub, NYSERDA, labor unions, and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, among many others, were present to share information on local workforce development opportunities.
Additionally, offshore wind developers Orsted, Community Offshore Wind, Vineyard Offshore, and Equinor attended, to engage both the community and future workers on the status of projects and job opportunities. The goal was to create an interactive environment to discuss offshore wind development and related training and apprenticeship programs.
VR technology simulated the experience of being a wind-turbine technician, allowing users to virtually climb a tall ocean-based turbine.
“This event provides those with an interest in hands-on, trade-based careers the opportunity to interact with skilled union leadership in a high-demand, emerging industry,” said Derek O’Connor, workforce development manager for SBU Economic Development. “It’s been really great to see the Long Island ecosystem working towards clean energy goals that also prioritize workforce development opportunities, especially for the next generation of energy workers.”
The open house featured a range of attractions designed to educate and inspire attendees. A highlight was the virtual-reality headgear, provided by Stony Brook University with support from the Long Island Chapter of the Workforce Development Institute. The technology simulates the experience of being a wind-turbine technician, allowing users to virtually climb a tall ocean-based turbine, perform maintenance tasks, and take in panoramic views of the sea.
The event also featured presentations in CEWIT’s Reality Deck, a 30-foot-by-40-foot room covered in display panels. It is the world’s first immersive gigapixel resolution display, offering more than 1.5 billion pixels on 416 27-inch screens, used to immerse scientists, researchers and students inside a 360-degree view of a high-definition visualization of massive datasets. Presentations in the Reality Deck explained why New York State is advancing renewable energy projects and included visual depictions of offshore wind energy and its benefits.
Local high school students attended to explore potential apprenticeships and careers, meeting directly with offshore wind organizations and potential employers.
Students took part in the program ‘A Taste of the Trades’ and learned about clean-energy production and infrastructure development.
The open house marked the final day of a two-week Stony Brook portion of the Summer Youth Employment Program: A Taste of the Trades, a seven-week paid training experience designed to introduce Long Island students from NYSERDA-designated underserved school districts to clean-energy production and infrastructure development, and to job prospects supporting the green economy.
Students attending the program spoke to representatives from the agencies, partners and trade unions to learn about how their interests align with positions in these fields. For Summer Youth Employment Program student Jannat Majid, a rising senior at Bellport High School, the experience helped solidify her future goals.
“It was amazing being able to connect with people who work in these fields, and manage and oversee them, and hear from them about their jobs,” said Majid. “I loved hearing about the opportunities available at the New York State Department of State, since I love science and chemistry, but I also love the political and community affairs side of it. Combining those two things is a dream of mine, one I learned that is possible within the New York State Department of State.”
The event succeeded in both educating the public about the benefits of offshore wind as well as recruiting for the workforce needed in this growing field, with prospective employees armed with questions about job responsibilities and qualifications. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to educate folks about the offshore wind industry. A lot of people have questions and don’t understand how offshore wind can help us move to a clean energy economy,” explained Deanna Cohen, corporate communications manager for NYSERDA.
“Part of the goal of the open house is to educate the public, but it’s also a part of Union Apprenticeship Awareness Day, so we’re also trying to engage the younger folks and show how they could benefit from a career in offshore wind. There will be so many opportunities in manufacturing and maintaining offshore wind, and together we can all build a better future for them and for future generations,” added Cohen.
— Beth Squire