A group of clean energy professionals set sail for a rare opportunity to visit a wind farm off the coast of Long Island, marking the culmination of nearly two years of workforce education supported by New York State’s Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI).
The June 5 trip brought together participants who had completed non-credit training programs at Stony Brook University and Suffolk County Community College. Many are professionals either entering or currently working in the renewable energy sector. The visit offered a firsthand look at wind turbines in operation, as well as a chance to connect with others in the clean energy industry.
The funding for the trip was provided through an OWTI award granted to Stony Brook University’s School of Professional Development. The Center for Continuing Education (CCE) managed the project and developed the Navigating the Clean Energy Transition lecture series, which served as the foundation for the program.
The 30-hour online certificate series included 10 modules led by Stony Brook faculty and industry professionals from companies such as Ørsted, Vineyard Offshore and the New York Power Authority. Over two cohorts, 62 individuals participated, consisting of professionals already working within the clean energy sector, those in career transition and newcomers looking to enter the field.
“This project is a great example of the impact of strategic partnerships. We are very thankful to the world-renowned researchers from Stony Brook University, as well as the industry experts and leaders who partnered with us to deliver this hybrid [in-person and online] program,” said Cynthia Colón, director of the CCE. “The 10-module format allowed us to cover a wide range of timely topics, and this capstone trip provided real-world insight that will ultimately strengthen participants’ professional skills.
For Herlema Owens, founder and president of the Association of Women Construction Workers of America, the program provided inspiration for evolving her organization’s own training efforts. “I came to this program because I have a training program for the workforce, and I am always working to add more programming to it,” Owens said. “I’m in my second cohort now, loving it, because I want to know more for myself and my students on how to get involved in offshore wind, and what it has to offer.”
The offshore visit served as both a capstone experience and a networking event, bringing together participants across sectors including engineering, project management, environmental science and government. Previous events in the series included a kickoff breakfast in March at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology and a promotional video featuring members of the first cohort.
For attendees, seeing the wind farm up close helped reinforce lessons learned in the various modules presented by experts and faculty. “Just how much goes into these large-scale energy infrastructure projects — specifically offshore wind — not just the turbines themselves, but all the various cabling that needs to happen… this program really broadened my horizons,” said Thomas Garry, senior coordinator at National Grid Ventures. “Even though I don’t have an engineering degree, the technical aspects that I learned from this program, I’ll be able to use in my day-to-day job.”
“My favorite part I’m looking forward to is the ecosystem that is built around the offshore wind turbines themselves. I’ve heard so much about that… they kind of become their own little reef systems in a lot of cases, so I’m really looking forward to taking a look at that,” said Garry.
Funded by the SUNY Chancellor’s Office, the OWTI initiative is part of a broader effort to prepare New Yorkers for careers in offshore wind, a rapidly expanding area of investment as the state moves toward ambitious clean energy goals.
“We are grateful to Chancellor King and Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development, Chris White, for the opportunity to expand access to emerging, existing, and transitioning professionals in support of educating our clean energy workforce,” said Patricia Malone, OWTI director. “This initiative is an important step toward advancing the knowledge and skills of clean energy professionals across Long Island and throughout New York State as we move forward in meeting our goals.”
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