Training business teams up with the Department for Education to offer a free ‘Green Energy Skills Bootcamp’ for people in Liverpool city region looking to work in offshore wind. Tony McDonough reports

People living in Liverpool city region can sign up for a free Green Energy Skills Bootcamp’ to help them start a career in the offshore wind sector.

Liverpool city region and North Wales have become leaders in offshore wind thanks to two large wind farms in Liverpool Bay. Burbo Bank and Burbo Bank Extension are located in Liverpool Bay, four miles north of Wirral. They comprise 57 turbines and operator Orsted has said it is looking to create more jobs in Merseyside.

Gwynt y Môr, off the North Wales coast, is even bigger. It comprises 160 3.6MW turbines. Earlier in 2021, plans were submitted to build 107 new turbines in the wind farm. These would offer more than 100MW of electricity. Combined, the Liverpool Bay wind farms can generate power for 700,000 homes.

In late 2021, LBN reported that Liverpool city region firms could. become suppliers for two giant wind farms planned for the Irish Sea that could provide power for 3.4m homes. Oil giant BP and German renewable energy firm Baden-Württemberg AG are behind the project.

Now Complete Training Solutions, one of the UK’s leading renewables training providers, and the Department for Education have launched a new initiative giving access to free training in the industry.

The new Green Energy Skills Bootcamp was launched across the Liverpool city region in February offering eligible participants the chance to complete the technical training required to secure employment in the renewable energy industry.

The training, available to anyone aged 19 and above, living in the Liverpool city region and looking to start or progress in the offshore wind sector, is funded under the Department for Education’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs initiative.

Upon completion, participants will be awarded two globally recognised qualifications from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA).

Learners will also gain access to sector-specific employability coaching from CTS’s sister company, Complete Skills Solutions (CSS). Taking place on March 7, the employability coaching is designed to prepare learners for a guaranteed interview with a leading wind power employer, WindTex Engineering.

The fully funded Skills Bootcamp is currently underway at CTS’s training facility in Liverpool city centre. The first cohort is scheduled to graduate training in two weeks, with another 12 participants ready to begin their training shortly after. People can still apply for places on forthcoming courses.

Among the cohort on the first Green Energy Skills Bootcamp was Joseph Brown, who was made redundant during the pandemic after serving eight years in an automotive manufacturing job.

Joseph said: “The course will open up a lot of doors for me, and I think it will support me and my future career goals. Anyone considering the Green Energy Skills Bootcamp should definitely register. It’s so worthwhile, enjoyable and an investment in your future.”

Danielle Kershaw, head of renewables at Complete Training Solutions, added: “We are extremely grateful and privileged to be delivering this trailblazing bootcamp across the Liverpool city region.

“As an incredible first for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the Skills Bootcamp has unlocked the door to accessible training opportunities for individuals seeking a career in the renewable energy sector.

“The global wind industry is expanding rapidly, and businesses are on the lookout for skilled professionals to future-proof their workforce ahead of the green revolution. The introduction of the Skills Bootcamp enables those organisations to explore new avenues for recruitment as their business expands.’’

Dates for the next course are still to be confirmed. Click here for more information.