Catch the big fish!

Tens of thousands of professionals will find employment in offshore wind farm projects in the Baltic Sea. During the Offshore Career Day 2022 Catch the big fish! employers who are looking for qualified staff presented a wide range of professional opportunities to students. The stand of Polenergia and Equinor was visited by several hundred people interested in a career in offshore.

The first edition of the OFFSHORE 2022 Career Day, held at the Gdansk University of Technology, was attended by more than a dozen companies operating in the offshore wind energy industry. Their stands were visited by several hundred students, graduates and high school students interested in working in the growing industry. They were able to talk directly to company representatives, deepen their knowledge of labour market expectations, and take part in workshops on career counselling or the recruitment process. Polenergia and Equinor also used VR goggles to take participants on a virtual journey to the seaside, where they could get an up-close look at the operation of wind farms.

– Offshore wind energy is an opportunity not only for Poland's energy transformation, but also for new jobs. Poland's growing offshore wind energy industry will need tens of thousands of skilled workers with different specialisations. Personnel will be needed not only during the construction phase, but also to operate and maintain the wind turbines in the Baltic Sea throughout the life of the wind farms. Creating jobs is a key way for our projects to create sustainable economic benefits in the local community" - says Michał Kołodziejczyk, CEO of Equinor Polska.

Already in 2019, Polenergia and Equinor started cooperation with the Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Shipbuilding at the Gdansk University of Technology, which educates future employees in the offshore wind energy sector. Experts from both companies conducted classes with postgraduate students, imparting practical knowledge on the development of energy projects in the Baltic.

– We are pleased to see such great interest among young people in a career in the offshore sector. Building the right personnel is one of the main conditions for the success of our investments. Offshore wind farm projects offer great opportunities to develop skills in many directions. Specialists will be needed in many fields: from the design of offshore structures and hydrotechnical structures and project management, through environmental law, maritime law, occupational health and safety to production and services – explains Maciej Stryjecki, Director for Offshore Wind Energy at Polenergia Group.

The organisers of the OFFSHORE 2022 Career Day Catch the big fish! were the Centre for Offshore Wind Energy of Gdansk University of Technology, Employers of Pomerania, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Shipbuilding of PG and the Career and Alumni Office of PG.