BUZZARDS BAY, MA: Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA; www.maritime.edu), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning recently held its first Introduction to Offshore Working Conditions (Offshore Experience) course for Vineyard Wind, providing 11 prospective offshore wind personnel a glimpse of what to expect when working offshore.

Vineyard Wind is currently building the nation’s first commercial scale offshore wind farm, at a site located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Participants in the Academy’s recent “Offshore Experience” course were provided information on the offshore working environment, took a virtual offshore wind turbine tour, experienced simulation of an offshore wind farm in the Academy’s 360-degree full mission bridge simulator, and were educated on emergency procedures during an underway experience aboard the T/V RANGER, a coastal training vessel utilized by the Academy’s Maritime Center Responsible Energy (MCRE) to support marine hydrokinetic research.

“The objective of this course was to provide the participants with a better understanding of the requirements of working offshore in an isolated environment and to help them determine if they are suited to this environment,” said course instructor Captain Michael R. Burns Jr., executive director of the Academy’s MCRE.

“Mass Maritime is an invaluable partner for us as we train the inaugural US-based offshore wind workforce,” said Jennifer Cullen, Senior Manager, Labor Relations & Workforce Development for Vineyard Wind. “The recent offshore experience program is a great example of how we can get skilled tradespeople familiarized with what it means to work offshore and build the pipeline of projects that will provide good paying jobs for decades to come.”

“Introducing a new course to our curriculum is always fulfilling, particularly when it focuses on emerging technologies and workforces,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “It was especially exciting to bring our “Offshore Experience” to Vineyard Wind, a project that is projected to generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.”