UMass Dartmouth Receives $730K to Advance Offshore Wind Workforce and Research
New England Council member UMass Dartmouth has received $730,090 from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to expand offshore wind workforce development and advance research supporting responsible industry growth. The funding is part of $4.2 million announced by the Healey-Driscoll administration for offshore wind workforce and research projects across Massachusetts.
UMass Dartmouth received three awards totaling $730,090: $250,000 to continue its Closing the Experience Gap offshore wind internship program, $280,501 to continue research on the potential effects of offshore wind development on cod spawning grounds in Southern New England, and $199,589 to develop a regional data-collection strategy supporting offshore wind monitoring in the Gulf of Maine. The internship program provides students with paid 200-hour internships at companies and organizations working in offshore wind and related industries. Over the past four years, the program has created nearly 100 internship opportunities for more than 40 students and nearly 20 companies and organizations, with the new funding expected to support about 30 additional internships over the next two years.
“UMass Dartmouth is grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the MassCEC for this important funding,” said UMass Dartmouth Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian. “These grants create meaningful opportunities for our students to gain hands-on experience in a growing industry while contributing to work that matters for the Commonwealth. By connecting education, research, and industry, UMass Dartmouth is helping prepare the next generation of talent, strengthen the local and state economy, and advance Massachusetts’ renewable energy strategy.”
The New England Council commends UMass Dartmouth for expanding workforce opportunities and advancing research that will help support the responsible growth of the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts and throughout New England.