SPIR Offshore Wind Workforce - Lunch and Learn

SPIR (Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence) ran its fifth Lunch and Learn on April 3, 2024 in partnership with the C4E (Collaborative for the Earth). Hosted at the deVries Center, this event gathered 40+ students from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) and School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) to learn from industry on the diverse abundance of future jobs primed for New York.

Representatives from all five New York offshore wind organizations presented at the event, including Retha Fernandez, Manager, Workforce Development & Equity, Community Offshore Wind, Alexandra Howell, Workforce & Labor Liaison, Attentive Energy, Kenny Hass, WTG Operations Engineer, Orsted, Sagar Mehta, Community Affairs Manager– Empire Wind 2, Equinor, Aaron Siegel, New York Community Liaison, Vineyard Offshore.

Themes of the presentations ranged from applied workforce skills, to aspects of equity and environmental justice, and included video testimonials from current offshore wind workers on their day to day operations. To close the event, students had an opportunity to network with speakers.

Student feedback on the event was incredibly positive, as well as review of the SPIR Lunch and Learn format, including:

“That's one of the best opportunities to connect to the industry for students.”

-Reza, Graduate Student, Electrical Engineering

SPIR’s next Lunch and Learn will be focused on Electrical Design and be held at Light Engineering on April 24 from 1-2:30PM.