Dive Brief:

• Citizens Bank will invest $600,000 in a workforce development program geared toward New York’s offshore wind industry over a two-year period, it said in an emailed statement seen Friday by ESG Dive.
• The grant is being provided by the bank’s philanthropic arm and will help launch the Brooklyn Youth Offshore Wind Training Program, which focuses on providing marginalized youth in Brooklyn with technical training and support to pursue careers in clean energy.
• The program aims to provide 65 “traditionally underserved” members of the Brownsville neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn, between the ages of 15 and 24, with opportunities to gain certification and relevant experience to prepare them for jobs in the offshore wind industry.

Dive Insight:

The workforce training program is spearheaded by the Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation, which partnered with the National Wind Service Corporation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation New York, as well as Citizens Philanthropic Foundation.

CBEDC and NWS will take lead on the administration of the program and aid in establishing the curriculum, employing instructors and offering counselors and other support services to the Brooklyn-based students, according to the release. The program will last 22 weeks, consisting of a 15-week preparatory course that students will take after school hours, followed by a seven-week paid summer internship.

The “intensive” internship period will allow the 65 selected students to receive hands-on experience in several offshore wind industry roles, including project management, construction, technician-related jobs — including wind turbine technicians — welders and computer numerical control machinists, according to the statement. The program will also provide swimming lessons to better equip students for these roles, as most wind farms are situated in the open ocean.

Companies that specialize in renewable energy, offshore wind, green infrastructure and compliance — such as Equinor, Crowley, Helberg, Electrical Supply, JetEx Mechanical and more — have committed to supporting program participants and helping them prepare for a future career in the offshore wind industry, according to the statement.

“This program reflects Citizens’ continued commitment to drive positive climate impact, build the workforce of the future, and foster the economic vitality of New York neighborhoods,” Rachel Mattes Greenberg, Citizens’ head of sustainability, said in the emailed statement.

The program would not only help to “address the clean energy labor needs of tomorrow,” but also lead to “greater financial security and economic prosperity” for the Brownsville community, Greenberg added. Citizens estimated that graduates of the program will have the requisite knowledge for jobs that pay between $75,000 and $120,000 per year, according to the release.

The program announcement comes as a slew of offshore wind programs have been canceled in recent months. Equinor and BP scrapped their New York offshore wind projects this year, citing rising inflation, interest rates and supply chain disruptions.

Such retractions in the U.S. wind power industry have impeded the state from reaching its goal to deploy 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. The state recently canceled three offshore wind projects that would have promised 4 gigawatts of capacity.