"Setting the Course for Offshore" combined education with offshore wind energy practice

From safety standards on the high seas to advanced supply chain technologies, future specialists from Pomerania have just completed the "Setting the Course for Offshore". The program implemented by Equinor and Polenergia around the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 wind farm projects is the first training initiative of this type in Poland. As part of 10 study meetings, students of technical secondary schools from the Pomeranian Voivodeship learned about the behind-the-scenes process of how offshore wind farms are developed and operated. The initiative, carried out together with regional partners, shows young people that career in the offshore industry begins at school.

Students of technical secondary schools from the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot metropolitan area and the surrounding area were invited to the program. The winners of the "My Career with Offshore Wind" competition, conducted in schools offering renewable energy-focused classes, were qualified for the program. Practical classes took place from January to June 2026.

The series began with a meeting at the Maritime Culture Centre in Gdańsk in the space of the exhibition "The Baltic Sea. A Sea of Green Energy", prepared by Equinor and Polenergia. In the following months, the students took part in the GWO Basic Safety Training session at the IM Training Education and Training Center in Gdynia, which introduced them to the safety rules applicable in the offshore wind industry, and in an offshore expert panel at the headquarters of the Pomeranian Employers in Gdańsk. Further sessions included visits to companies related to the industry: MEWO, Mostostal Pomorze S.A., Baltic Towers and Energomontaż-Północ Gdynia, the Port of Gdynia and MAG Offshore, as well as classes using simulators at the Center for New Competences.

During the program, participants met with managers and industry experts, saw the facilities of supply chain companies for offshore wind energy in Poland, learned about the production processes of key components and learned what competencies are needed in everyday work. During the summary session, the students also practiced participating in the recruitment interview using the suggestions of experienced industry professionals.

– We wanted to show young people offshore wind as a real, dynamically operating sector of the economy, offering broad educational and professional perspectives. The "Setting the Course for Offshore" gave participants the opportunity to meet industry experts and companies, and see first-hand what working in offshore wind looks like. Graduates of the program are well preapred and highly motivated to enter the job market, combining strong theoretical foundations with valuable practical experience – says Andrzej Popadiuk, Stakeholder Manager at Equinor Poland.

– The development of offshore wind energy requires not only investments in infrastructure, but also consistent building of competences and education of future specialists. The "Setting the Course for Offshore" has shown that contact between young people and the industry at the education stage can play an important role in helping them understand their own strengths, the current needs of the labour market and how to plan their future careers – says Marta Porzuczek, Director of the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Department, ESG Coordinator at Polenergia Group.

The project was implemented in cooperation with the Pomeranian Employers, the Polish Offshore Wind Industry Chamber, Rumia Invest Park and the Pomeranian Offshore Renewable Energy Competence Centre. The "Setting the Course for Offshore" program involved students and teaching staff of: CONRADINUM Ship and Technical Schools, Electronic and Refrigeration School Complex in Gdynia, Maritime School Complex in Gdańsk and Vocational and Continuing Education Center No. 1 in Gdynia.