Crowley Launches Offshore Wind Training Program With Mass Maritime

Crowley Maritime and Massachusetts Maritime Academy have announced a training partnership to help create the offshore wind workforce that the U.S. will need for its growing renewable energy industry. 

The first-of-its-kind training and workforce development program will be dedicated to the needs of the New England region's offshore wind energy industry. Though offshore wind is just getting started on the U.S. East Coast, it is expected to expand rapidly over the course of the next decade, boosted by support from federal policymakers, state governments, oil majors and investors.

The program will include sea safety and survival instruction and will be certified by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non-profit that sets international standards for safety training. The academy will coordinate with Relyon Nutec, the world's largest provider of specialized instruction for energy and industrial sectors, to deliver the courses.

"Crowley and MMA are leaders in the maritime industry, and the joint program will help us build the next generation employee serving in the offshore wind industry," said Jeff Andreini, vice president, Crowley New Energy. "This partnership will provide workers the skills and knowledge they need, and together we help create cleaner energy sources in the U.S."

Crowley – a longtime supporter of the nation's maritime academies – will continue to provide scholarships, internships and hands-on learning for MMA cadets, including opportunities at sea and at the recently created Maritime Center for Responsible Energy (MCRE) on the MMA campus.

"Partnering with industry leaders is critical to our program at MMA. We're especially proud to team up with Crowley to help prepare the workforce for opportunities in the offshore wind industry," said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. "Training and internships will help our cadets gain expertise and experience, which will be critical as they pursue careers in this growing field."

Going beyond training, the Crowley/MMA offshore wind industry partnership will also create outreach programs and workforce development for underrepresented population groups, specifically in Massachusetts' Gateway Cities - the former manufacturing centers outside of Greater Boston that are in need of economic revival.