2021 Offshore Wind Workforce Training & Development in Massachusetts Report
The 2021 Offshore Wind Workforce Training & Development in Massachusetts Report provides an in-depth examination of the requirements and opportunities for the emerging offshore wind workforce. This report, released in September 2021, builds on the 2018 Massachusetts Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment, providing a more detailed understanding of the specific occupations required for all phases of an offshore wind project. This study also includes an overview of the existing, relevant regional training programs, including the grantees awarded under MassCEC’s 2018 and 2020 workforce development solicitations.
Analysis was conducted to further examine the workforce required to complete the first 1,600 megawatts of Massachusetts offshore wind (with recognition of further offshore wind deployment planned for the Commonwealth and the Northeast), and the state’s current ability to supply the necessary workers. The report includes discussion of “priority communities” in which to focus workforce development efforts based on equity, need, and current workforce supply.
For the purposes of this report, the OSW workforce is defined as direct involvement in the planning and development, manufacturing and assembly, construction and installation, operations and maintenance, and other support services of a functioning offshore wind farm. While the study examines Massachusetts’ ability to supply all OSW project tasks, the report’s gap analysis and recommendations focus primarily on workers involved in the construction and installation and operations and maintenance phases of OSW project development.
The 2021 report findings will continue to inform future MassCEC offshore wind workforce initiatives, help to identify and communicate career pathways, and support efforts to foster equity in all phases of the offshore wind build-out.