Registration has started for the 2nd edition of EDU OFFSHORE WIND – Poland’s largest educational career fair for offshore renewable energy and related sectors associated with climate change, which will take place on 5-6 March 2024 in Gdansk. We spoke to Krzysztof Tomaszewski, the leader of offshore wind lectures at schools and universities programme and co-organiser of the fair from the Foundation for Innovative Offshore Power Industry, about the role of workshops on offshore wind energy held in Pomeranian schools from 2022 onwards, as well as the challenges facing the industry and the educational measures to be taken. BalticWind.EU is a strategic media partner of the event.
BalticWind.EU: What role do the educational meetings you conduct in Pomeranian schools play in the EDU OFFSHORE WIND project?
Krzysztof Tomaszewski: Jobs related to offshore wind energy are still a new topic in Poland, so the meetings at schools and universities aim to introduce pupils, students and teachers to these issues in the most effective way possible before they even attend the fair. This way, when they meet future employers during EDU OFFSHORE WIND, they will have an idea of what wind farm investments look like at different stages, as well as what qualifications will be in demand. The dialogue we have with young people during these workshops stimulates them to think about potential careers in energy transition professions and to plan their next career steps. Our meetings and lectures therefore play a key preparatory role.
District School Complex No. 2 in Wejherowo
How do such meetings take place? Can schools and universities express their interest in such a meeting to you?
– During the meetings, we show the preparation and implementation of investments in offshore wind farms step by step. We provide information on what the paths to specific professions look like, e.g. how to become a sheet metal bending machine operator or a wind turbine service technician. We show what skills are most desired by employers and how to develop them. The way we do this and the tools we use are tailored to the needs of our audience. Our lessons are available on our youtube channel and e-learning platform. In addition, we are always ready for questions from participants to which we try to provide concrete and clear answers. It is worth emphasising that in addition to imparting knowledge – in line with the motto of the 2nd edition of the fair – we spread our passion for green energy. Schools and universities interested in participating in the project are welcome to contact us.
What is of most interest to young people?
The issues that young people raise during the meetings are, firstly, what the prospects are for the new sector, and secondly, they ask what the day-to-day work is like in the various professions, whether and to what extent it involves long journeys, which languages they should know or what the recruitment process is like. Young people want to know not only what the labour market looks like today, but also how it will change in a few years’ time.
Are you also seeing interest in offshore wind energy from teachers ?
– Yes, we are indeed seeing increasing interest from both teachers and career advisors. This is important, because in the case of secondary school students, they play a very important role in planning their future career paths, as well as carrying out specific activities to acquire skills and expand the necessary knowledge. EDU OFFSHORE WIND is not only a series of meetings in schools and a trade fair, but also a series of information and education activities aimed specifically at teachers and career advisers.
What lessons do these meeting bring on the offshore wind sector – what educational measures are needed first?
– The main conclusion is that in preparing our education and workforce development system for the green transition, we need long-term measures. Both those aimed at young people, but also at companies involved in wind farm projects in the Polish Baltic Sea. Close dialogue and cooperation between them is essential, if only in the form of running patronage classes, implementing comprehensive internship policies, and building knowledge transfer from company experts to teachers and students about how the industry and individual technologies are changing. The aim of EDU OFFSHORE WIND is to create and support such dialogue and knowledge transfer.
Zespół Szkół “Elektryk” im. Noblistów Polskich in Slupsk
The EDU OFFSHORE WIND trade fair is an initiative of the Pomeranian Platform for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the Baltic Sea and the Pomeranian Centre of Competence for Offshore Renewable Energy in Rumia. The event is accompanied by the slogan “We spread our passion for green energy!”
Representatives of the organisers, which include Rumia Invest Park, Co-Made, the Foundation for Innovative Offshore Energy Industry and MTG SA, emphasise that the success of the 1st edition shows how necessary it is to continue this form of event. And this time the main partners of the event are: Local Government of the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the City of Gdansk.
More information: www.eduoffshorewind.pl as well as on the event’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube i Instagram
Companies interested in cooperating with the event are invited to contact Karolina Lipińska k.lipinska@pomorskie.eu and Łukasz Kneba lukasz.kneba@eduoffshorewind.pl, while schools and careers advisors are welcome to contact ktomaszewski@przemyslowa-akademia.pl.
