A group of clean energy professionals recently embarked on a visit to a wind farm off the coast of Long Island. This trip marked the culmination of nearly two years of workforce education supported by New York State’s Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI). Participants in this June 5 event had completed non-credit training programs at Stony Brook University and Suffolk County Community College, providing them with a firsthand look at operational wind turbines and an opportunity to network within the clean energy industry.
Funding for this trip was provided through an OWTI award granted to Stony Brook University’s School of Professional Development. The Center for Continuing Education (CCE) managed the project, developing the Navigating the Clean Energy Transition lecture series as its foundation. The 30-hour online certificate series included ten modules led by Stony Brook faculty and industry professionals from companies such as Ørsted, Vineyard Offshore, and the New York Power Authority. Over two cohorts, 62 individuals participated, including current clean energy sector professionals, those transitioning careers, and newcomers.
“This project is a great example of the impact of strategic partnerships. We are very thankful to the world-renowned researchers from Stony Brook University, as well as the industry experts and leaders who partnered with us to deliver this hybrid [in-person and online] program,” said Cynthia Colón, director of the CCE. “The 10-module format allowed us to cover a wide range of timely topics, and this capstone trip provided real-world insight that will ultimately strengthen participants’ professional skills.”
Herlema Owens, founder and president of the Association of Women Construction Workers of America, expressed how the program inspired her organization's training efforts. “I came to this program because I have a training program for the workforce, and I am always working to add more programming to it,” Owens said. “I’m in my second cohort now, loving it because I want to know more for myself and my students on how to get involved in offshore wind, and what it has to offer.”
The offshore visit served both as a capstone experience and networking event across sectors like engineering, project management, environmental science, and government. Previous events included a kickoff breakfast in March at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology.
For attendees like Thomas Garry from National Grid Ventures, seeing the wind farm reinforced lessons learned during their training modules. “Just how much goes into these large-scale energy infrastructure projects — specifically offshore wind — not just the turbines themselves but all the various cabling that needs to happen… this program really broadened my horizons,” Garry noted.
Funded by SUNY Chancellor’s Office, OWTI is part of broader efforts preparing New Yorkers for careers in offshore wind amid ambitious state clean energy goals. Patricia Malone from OWTI highlighted gratitude towards leadership support: “We are grateful to Chancellor King and Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development Chris White for expanding access...to educate our clean energy workforce.”