A coastal college has received a £250,000 funding boost to help local people gain jobs in the offshore wind industry.
East Coast College will now enter the second phase for their Offshore Wind Skills Centre following the funding boost, which will support new entrants in the sector, as well as supporting internal progession for existing staff through replacement posts.
The centre, which launced at the college’s Great Yarmouth campus in 2018, will deliver a number of courses matched to local industry need.
Rachel Bunn, assistant principal for apprenticeships and employer engagement, said: “This new opportunity provides the college with the ability to continue to support the local community to retrrain and upskill, alongside the continued growth in the wind sector.
“With the news this week of Vattenfall being awarded a Development Consent Order for the Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm, this also highlights the great regional opportunities.”
The project, in partnership with ScottishPower Renewables, comes following employer contributions and the New Anglia Skills Deal Programe, funded by the ESFA, Norfolk County Coucnil and Suffolk Local Authorities.
Charlie Jordan, EA1 project director at ScottishPower Renewables, said: “We recognise the high value of providing accessible training opportunities for the region and as lead industry partner in the project, we are delighted to see that the Offshore Wind Skills Centre has been successful in gaining Skills Deal funding.”
Successful candidates will be supported to undertake Global Wind Organisation training, with employers then sponsoring candidates’ further training to enter employment.
Simon Gray, CEO of the East of England Energy Group, said: “The Offshore Wind Skills Centre is a critical training hub to ensure the local area can support future skills needs within the wind sectore.
“Phase one of the training hub provided a wealth of positive employment opportunities for those unemployed or transitioning into the sector from other engineering disciplines.”
Ian Pease, business development manager for All Energy at OrbisEnergy and the East of England Energy Zone, said: “This is excellent news for the offshore wind sector in our region.”
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