Offshore Wind Professional Certificate - Industry Partnership Program
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We are proud to offer an opportunity to industry leaders in offshore wind to formally partner with our Offshore Wind Professional Certificate and the associated Career Access Scholarship.
The Industry Partnership Program creates opportunities for industry leaders to form long-term, strategic relationships with the UMass Offshore Wind Certificate – the leading offshore wind professional training program in New England – and its growing network of students, alumni, educators, and industry leaders.
Partnering for Success
The UMass Clean Energy Extension (CEE) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst provides its offshore wind (OSW) energy industry collaborators an opportunity to formally partner with our Offshore Wind Professional Certificate. Established in 2020 as the only graduate-level certificate in the Northeastern US focused on OSW energy professional training, the program has established an early track record of success with 170 students and graduates to date. Students and graduates are now employed throughout the industry. The Certificate Program is recognized by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) as an important part the Commonwealth's local workforce development efforts.
Meeting Partners’ Diversity & Equity Requirements
Sponsorship of the Certificate and the Career Access Scholarship supports partners in meeting their economic development requirements. The scholarship program, launched in 2021, provides funding for tuition and wraparound services for students that bring a diverse perspective to the OSW industry. Beginning with the third OSW solicitation, Massachusetts required bidders to submit diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) plans that included a Workforce Diversity Plan. Other states have similar DEI objectives and requirements.
Partnership Opportunities
Supporter: $25,000 Sponsorship annually
Benefits include:
- Exclusive access to talent pipeline:
- Membership in invite-only LinkedIn group of current students & alumni. Current membership exceeds 90 offshore wind professionals and continues to grow.
- Support Career Access Scholarship Program
- Funds will be used to support the staffing, recruitment, and financial aid for Career Access Scholars, who are selected based on their ability to successfully bring a diverse perspective to the offshore wind industry
- Publicity
- Logo placement on website and promotional materials
- Option for Sponsor to use UMass CEE logo with licensing agreement
Signature: $50,000 Sponsorship annually
2-year commitment. All Supporter benefits plus the following:
- Office Hours Q&A with students
- Partner Q&A at office hours once a year
- Seat on Certificate’s Workforce Development Roundtable
- Meet once per year with Certificate team to discuss how the course can best be designed to support the industry in meeting their talent needs
Premier: $100,000 Sponsorship annually
2-year commitment. All Signature benefits plus the following:
*Partners interested in the Premier level can discuss customized benefits with the team.
- Exclusive Company Profile & Student Engagement
- Premier Partner presentation to Certificate students once a year followed by individual or small group coffee chats for talent acquisition
- Access to University resources
- Introductions to UMass faculty and Wind Energy Center researchers to support Premier Partner research and development needs
- Opportunity for meeting hosting at UMass Amherst facilities
- UMass Offshore Wind Industry Advisory Board
- Several groups at UMass are involved in OSW. Sponsors will have access to a seat on this Advisory Board to broadly influence curriculum development and research.
Summary of Benefits
Benefits |
Premier |
Signature |
Supporter |
---|---|---|---|
Access to talent pipeline |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Support Career Access Scholarship Program |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Workforce Development Roundtable |
✓ | ✓ | |
Office Hours Q&A with students |
✓ | ✓ | |
Exclusive Company Profile & Student Engagement |
✓ | ||
Access to University resources |
✓ |
What are You Supporting?
Sponsors will enable the Offshore Wind Professional Certificate and Career Access Scholarship Program to continue and to grow. Specifically, funding will go to supporting diversity in the industry, maintaining the relevancy of the curriculum to current industry needs, teaching, and program administration.
Certificate Program Background
Established in 2020 as the only graduate-level certificate in the Northeastern US focused on OSW energy professional training, the program has established an early track record of success with 125 students and graduates to date. Certificate students and graduates are now in leadership positions with Vineyard Wind, Equinor, Mayflower, Wood Thilsted, Avangrid, Siemens-Gamesa, GE, Xodus Group, and offices in state government, among others.
Our Career Access Scholarship provides a pathway for our partners to meet their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals. Our scholarship program supports students from diverse backgrounds with the expertise they need to succeed in the Certificate and in careers in offshore wind. We are excited to join our industry partners in creating a more equitable offshore wind workforce by providing pathways to lucrative and stable careers for individuals who are historically underrepresented in renewable energy.
Context
Across the US, the offshore wind industry is scrambling for talent to help meet growing Federal and State targets. Nowhere is this more pressing than in Massachusetts and the Northeast where the nation’s first commercial-scale OSW project has already broken ground. Further, the call for diversity and equity in the workforce is growing stronger as states require comprehensive economic development packages. The UMass Clean Energy Extension (CEE) is proud to offer an Offshore Wind Professional Certificate and associated Career Access Scholarship that address both of these needs.
Many OSW workforce development programs are focused on the skilled trade jobs for construction, operations, and maintenance. However, most projects are still in the planning and development phase, within which the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has identified 47 essential occupations, including in engineering, stakeholder engagement, permitting, financial analysis, and legal support.
The UMass CEE offers the only graduate-level certificate in the Northeast focused on OSW that specifically prepares students to lead in the planning and development multi-disciplinary environment of OSW developers, owners, and suppliers.
Preparing Students for Success in the Industry
UMass CEE’s Offshore Wind Professional Certificate is an online 3-course graduate-level certificate developed with funding and technical support from the MassCEC and several industry partners. The Certificate is tailored to meet the needs of (1) professionals looking to up-skill or transition from adjacent industries or who are already in the industry, and (2) current graduate students looking to begin new careers in OSW.
The three courses in the Certificate cover different aspects of the OSW industry, including:
- Technology, engineering, grid integration, and industry trends
- Environmental impact, project siting, permitting, and stakeholder engagement
- Project finance, supply chain management, marketing, business logistics, law, and policy
Certificate graduates are prepared to lead in their respective niche, with confident and comprehensive knowledge of the industry’s current trends, technical details, and outlook.
Diversifying the OSW Workforce
Through a grant from the MassCEC in 2021, CEE has established the OSW Career Access Scholarship Program to support students from diverse backgrounds to succeed in the Certificate and in careers in OSW. We are excited to support the OSW industry in providing economic benefits to the communities they operate in by laying out pathways to lucrative and stable careers for individuals who are historically underrepresented in renewable energy.
Student Testimonials
The Certificate attracts mid-career professionals seeking to upskill or transition from adjacent fields to the Offshore Wind industry. Our student cohort and alumni include skilled industry leaders, policy experts, project managers, senior analysts, engineers, business owners, and industry insiders with the vital skills and expertise needed by the industry to meet its goals.
Student & Graduate Employment in OSW
CEE launched the UMass Offshore Wind Professional Certificate in 2020, and Certificate students and graduates have found employment with Vineyard Wind, Equinor, SouthCoast Wind, Wood Thilsted, Ventower, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, and others.
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Diane Hoskins, Climate and Energy Campaign Director, Oceana:
“I pursued the Offshore Wind Professional Certificate Program because I needed to rapidly gain a sophisticated understanding of the industry and speed up my personal learning curve. The curated readings, guest lecturers, and working with my fellow classmates – many of whom are also professionals from a wide range of fields – has all been extremely valuable. The multidisciplinary nature of the topics and students engaged in the program results in enriching discussions and insights. If you're interested in getting up to speed quickly, you can achieve that through this program.” - Melanie Schultz, Program Manager, National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium:
“The course work was crucial, but the relationships I made with my classmates were essential for people to know who I was and consider hiring me. I wasn’t 100% sure what I was going to learn when I signed up, but I ended up learning a whole lot more than I expected.” - Anonymous
“I would highly recommend this course and the entire certificate program to individuals who are interested in learning the A-Z of Offshore Wind development within the US and internationally. One of the best parts of the course; being able to witness and discuss developments as they are currently happening with individuals who are either directly a part of the development or are actively supporting. This is truly the time to expand your knowledge of the field and the three courses offered in the Offshore Wind Professional Certificate Program allows you to do so in a concise way.”
Learn More
Contact us at oswcertificate@umass.edu to learn more and to discuss sponsorship opportunities that meet the needs of your company.
Please download and print our Industry Partnership Program Brochure for internal distribution in your organization.