Offshore wind energy is a promising economic sector that will provide employment for at least the next few decades. More and more Polish universities are opening new courses related to the preparation, construction and operation of offshore wind power plants – from engineering studies through master’s specialisations to post-graduate and MBA studies. PGE Group is one of the entities who have become involved in the creation of study programmes for offshore wind.
Young people who are interested in the energy sector and who are now facing the choice of their studies should consider fields of study related to this area, especially renewable energy sources. Given the energy transition that is already underway in Poland, the entire national energy sector is undergoing gradual but consistent change. Qualified specialists will be needed to carry it out smoothly.
One particularly interesting area of green transition is offshore wind energy. PGE Group will have built wind farms with a total capacity of approximately 2.5 GW in the Baltic Sea by the end of this decade, will add an additional 0.9 GW by the early 2030s, and will have a total of at least 6.5 GW of capacity in the Baltic Sea by 2040. A competent workforce is required to carry out offshore wind energy tasks. Their task will be to design, build and service offshore installations that will generate the electricity to power Polish homes.
In February, the first graduates received their diplomas in UMG’s degree programme in Risk Management in the Offshore Extraction and Offshore Wind Industries. The second edition began in March; photo: Maciej Czarniak / Gdynia Maritime University.
PGE Baltica, a PGE Group company, is already cooperating intensively with Pomeranian universities with regard to studies related to offshore wind. The company has taken on patronage of a new specialisation in Ocean Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology at the Gdansk University of Technology – Design and construction of Offshore Power Systems. This is the first such specialisation in Poland, which allows graduates to enrich their general technical knowledge and acquire the skills necessary for the design, construction and operation of offshore and coastal energy systems. It is conducted in cooperation with academics and specialists from the field of wind energy from the Gdansk University of Technology, the Danish Technical University (DTU) and the Institute of Fluid Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IMP-PAN). Individual lectures are given by visiting professors from DTU and IMP-PAN, as well as experienced practitioners from PGE Baltica. The best graduates of the specialisation have already received first scholarships funded by PGE Baltica. The company’s cooperation with the university also includes classes for secondary school students to get them interested in studying offshore wind energy. PGE Baltica is also involved in cooperation with the Gdansk University of Technology in the organisation of postgraduate studies in offshore wind energy.
The company is also the main partner of a postgraduate course called Risk Management in the Offshore Extraction and Wind Energy Industries at the Faculty of Navigation of the Gdynia Maritime University. The second edition of these studies started in March. It is an offer for managerial and technical staff of companies operating across the offshore industry and its component sectors. Both Offshore Oil&Gas and Offshore Wind Energy specialists can benefit from this offer. Graduates of the course will acquire a wide range of knowledge and skills primarily related to effective and safe risk management in offshore projects. This will be taken care of by a staff of industry specialists with extensive experience worldwide (including Denmark, Germany, England, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan). The lecturers include project managers, experts-practitioners in the field of offshore wind farm supply, including specialists from PGE Baltica, experts in project financing, legal advisors specialising in the offshore industry, specialists in health and safety and human resources management. During the course, experts from PGE Baltica will present case studies.
In February, the first graduates received their diplomas for the UMG degree in Risk Management in the Offshore Extraction and Wind Energy Industries. The second edition began in March; photo: Maciej Czarniak / Maritime University of Gdynia
In addition to the Pomeranian universities, the PGE Group is also pursuing joint postgraduate studies in the management of the preparation and implementation of investments in offshore wind farms at the Lazarski University in Warsaw. The first graduates will join the labour market this year.
PGE Baltica is open to talented people who are interested in working in the offshore wind energy sector. A degree in specialist offshore studies is not a prerequisite, although the majority of the team has a background of energy-related studies. Employees with the least experiance include graduates of such faculties as power engineering, mining and engineering geology, heating, heating and air conditioning or RES. Apprenticeships, such as the “Energy for the Future” programme, are often a ticket to a career in PGE Baltica. To make potential candidates interested in employment opportunities in the offshore wind energy industry as early on as possible, the company also cooperates with secondary schools – technical schools in Ustka and Malbork. PGE Baltica specialists conduct lessons and presentations for the students.
PGE Baltica will participate in the EDU Offshore Wind fair at the AmberExpo in Gdańsk. On 14 and 15 March. They would like to invite visitors to their stand no. A67 in Hall A.
