The Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) has launched the nation’s first offshore wind training facility.
The facility includes a crew transfer training vessel (CTV), which supports safety training for workers moving from relatively small CTVs to the fixed support structures of offshore wind turbines.
Initially, MMA will focus on Basic Safety Training for the industry with a course comprised of First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Heights, and Sea Survival.
Some of the training will take place in MMA’s newly constructed indoor climbing facility and on the crew transfer training facility located on MMA’s pier in Buzzard’s Bay.
According to the government, the facility will also support the construction and operation of the 800MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind project.
“As Massachusetts heads toward building the first large scale offshore wind project in the nation, we are pleased that Massachusetts Maritime Academy will be home to this first-in-the-nation training facility,” said Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker .
“With important training infrastructure like this crew transfer facility, thousands of students and trade workers will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be a part of the growing sector of Massachusetts’ nation-leading clean energy industry and can take advantage of the highly-skilled jobs created by this emerging industry.”
The training facility, which received a total of USD 1.73 million from the Administration and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), will provide education, training and certification to residents, including Mass Maritime cadets, as well as skilled labor including electricians, pile drivers, divers and welders.
The project is a partnership between Mass Maritime, state government and industry, including Vineyard Wind, while Relyon Nutec joined as the GWO training provider.