Pupils and students learned about the benefits of offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea. The end of the third edition of the educational project

1400 students from seven secondary schools in regions related to the Baltic offshore wind farm projects took part in the next, third edition of "One sea, many benefits. Offshore wind energy in my region" project. The organizers were investors – Equinor and Polenergia. The project introduces students to the offshore sector and the new career opportunities it creates.

Źródło: Eguinor i Polenergia

The workshop's main topic was offshore wind energy – a new sector of renewable energy in Poland, which over time will bring numerous benefits to the Polish economy and create opportunities for development, including professional development. The first two editions of the project were attended by almost 3000 students from eleven primary schools in the Słupsk region, through which the onshore part of the connection infrastructure of the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms will run. In Łeba, there will be an O&M base for their service.

The project's third edition, which has just ended, was addressed to young people from secondary schools in Słupsk, Lębork and Ustka. During the classes, 1400 students learned about the offshore wind energy industry and the role it plays in Poland's energy transition. Participants also learned about the professional opportunities offered by this dynamically developing sector. The organizers prepared an attractive program: in addition to workshops on offshore wind energy, which ended with an interactive quiz with prizes, there were also exercises in creative thinking (Design Thinking), developing and managing a personal brand, and first aid training, conducted by IM Training | Education and Training Center.

Źródło: Equinor i Polenergia

– Properly prepared, systematic education is essential for the development of offshore wind energy in our country. The industry has a decades-long perspective, so the training of the right staff should start at the earliest stage. That is why we are involved in projects aimed at children, young people, and students, supporting innovative directions in education. Our educational project has created a chance for young people to learn about new professions, expectations of the labor market, and sought-after qualifications. We are convinced that participation in the classes will help young people make an informed decision about their professional future – says Andrzej Popadiuk, Stakeholder Manager, Equinor in Poland.

Offshore investments, which are one of the strategic directions of the country's green transformation, will power millions of Polish homes with clean electricity. The development, construction, and operation of the Bałtyk projects are carried out sustainably, respecting the environment and sea users. The emerging industry has the potential to create tens of thousands of attractive jobs, both in the construction and operation of offshore wind farms and those generated indirectly by component and service suppliers. There will be a need for specialists in a wide range of fields from marine and hydrotechnical engineering design and project management, to environmental law, maritime law, safety and regulations, to manufacturing and service workers.

– We have invited schools from the region where our investments will be present to participate in the project. During the classes, students learned not only about the Bałtyk projects but also about scenarios for the development of offshore wind energy in the coming years in the context of long-term professional development. Our goal is to make offshore wind both an opportunity for young people to as an opportunity to stop adverse climate change and a personal career choice. We also reach out to their parents and teachers with this message, for example through regular meetings with residents or participation in local events, where we highlight the advantages and benefits of green solutions – says Marta Porzuczek, Director of the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Department at Polenergia Group.

Źródło: Equinor i Polenergia

Three offshore wind farms Bałtyk developed by Equinor and Polenergia with a total capacity of up to 3 GW will supply renewable energy to over 4 million households.

Education is an area to which Equinor and Polenergia attach particular importance. Companies are involved in numerous activities related to the education of future staff at all levels of education. Recently, in addition to the project "One Sea, Many Benefits. Offshore wind energy in my region" – the companies conducted an educational program for nine hundred primary and secondary school students in the Lębork, Słupsk, and Wejherowo districts. They also participated in two editions of the EDU OFFSHORE WIND career fair in Gdańsk. Throughout the year, information and educational activities are also carried out at the Bałtyk Local Information Point in Łeba, the first stationary facility in Poland dedicated to offshore wind energy.

In addition, since the beginning of 2022, Polenergia, together with schools, has been conducting climate education in over 80 facilities located at the company's projects. These are activities as part of "Play Green with Us!", an original program prepared in cooperation with the Kulczyk Foundation and UNEP/GRID-Warsaw.

Equinor, in turn, supports the Łeba’s Sailing Club as part of the "Heroes of Tomorrow" Program. This program is aimed at young people who want to develop and change the world in the field of science, culture, or sport.