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More than 80 area students attend event to learn about career pathways in emerging clean energy industry Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, and University of Bridgeport (UB) last week held the first Offshore Wind Workshop on campus to outline opportunities and career pathways for local high school and college students in the New England regions emerging offshore wind industry. The workshop, which took place on November 9, 2023, hosted more than 80 local students from Fairchild Wheeler High School, Central High School, University of Bridgeport, and other local schools, and included panel discussions detailing the diversity of job opportunities within offshore wind, as well 1-on-1 engagement with students and current Avangrid employees. Offshore Wind is a critical energy and climate solution for the New England region, but it also represents a generational economic opportunity for young people in communities like Bridgeport, said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. The successful, ongoing construction of our nation-leading Vineyard Wind 1 project demonstrates the immense potential for this industry to create well-paying jobs in the skilled trades, and we believe the students that attended this workshop represent a bright future for the regions clean energy workforce. When there is renewable energy in this region, its good for student employment and good for the environment, said Dr. Junling Hu, Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at University of Bridgeport. Its important to run this workshop at University of Bridgeport, said Dean of the College of Engineering, Business, and Education, Dr. Khaled Elleithy. Its designed to excite high school students about jobs in the field. We hope some students might join us in the future, where we have facilities and experienced professors who can teach these technologies. As part of the days programming, Avangrid held a panel discussion featuring current employees focused on jobs in offshore wind, including construction, operations and maintenance, civil and electrical engineering, research and development, marine science, and other positions within the skilled trades. Tamika Jacques, Avangrids Director of Workforce Development and Supply Chain, provided a keynote address highlighting offshore winds potential for economic impact throughout New England and in communities like Bridgeport, including the creation of well-paying, family sustaining jobs. The program concluded with 1-on-1 meetings between students and Avangrid employees, and a tour of University of Bridgeports campus for prospective students. Offshore Wind is a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity for the New England region, and in particular communities like Bridgeport that stand to benefit from the jobs and investment this industry can bring in the decades to come, said Tamika Jacques, Director of Workforce Development and Supply Chain. Were inspired to see the passion and interest in clean energy from these young leaders, and grateful to our partners at University of Bridgeport for hosting this workshop, which we hope will be a first step into a career in offshore wind for many of these students. In late 2022, Avangrid began construction on its first-in-the-nation Vineyard Wind 1 project, achieved steel-in-the-water in June, and completed the nations first offshore substation in July. Construction flows through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. In July 2021, Vineyard Wind signed the first Project Labor Agreement for an offshore wind project in the United States, which outlined the creation of 500 union jobs though the project. An 806-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, Vineyard Wind will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually. |
