Ocean Energy Workforce Development Summit

A discussion of the workforce development needs of the emerging ocean renewable energy industry will be held on 4 May 2012 from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum located in downtown New Bedford, MA, USA. A keynote address will be given by Representative William R. Keating, U.S. House of Representatives.

In Europe, hundreds of thousands of jobs are projected to have been created supporting offshore wind, wave and tidal energy, and in just three years the German offshore wind deployment sites at Bremen and Cuxhaven have created over 2,400 direct manufacturing jobs. 

Panels of experts will address the following issues: 'What are the Needs of Industry?' - CEOs involved in deployment and supply chain will talk about their projected needs. 'What is the Experience in Europe?' - trainers involved in supporting the rapid expansion of these industries will discuss their lessons learned. 'What are Plans in the USA?' - A panel of workforce developers and trainers will tell the audience about their plans to meet this emerging need.

New industries create new jobs for the young, but can also allow workers displaced from older industries to find new careers. This summit will allow you to understand the challenges and the work being done to address both the needs of industry and the workers.