Avangrid, University of Bridgeport hold offshore wind workshop for area students
In Connecticut, energy company Avangrid and the University of Bridgeport held their first Offshore Wind Workshop last week to give more than 80 area students a chance to learn about career potentials within the offshore wind industry.
Local high school and college students alike attended the workshop, including from Fairchild Wheeler High School, Central High School, University of Bridgeport and other local schools. At the event, they benefited from panel discussions on job opportunities and one-on-one engagement opportunities between students and Avangrid employees. Current employees addressed jobs in construction, operations and maintenance, civil and electrical engineering, research and development, and other skilled trades positions the wind industry needs to function.
“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,” Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO, said. “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 region’s clean energy workforce.”
This also holds importance for Avangrid, given that just last year, it began construction on the nation’s first offshore wind project: Vineyard Wind 1. It’s being undertaken by union workers, and once complete, it will provide 806 MW of energy from 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
“It’s important to run this workshop at the University of Bridgeport,” Dr. Khaled Elleithy, Bridgeport’s Dean of the College of Engineering, Business and Education, said. “It’s 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.”
