Community Offshore Wind recently partnered with the All Things Are Possible Foundation (ATAP) to organize a field trip for about 30 students from New Jersey to participate in an educational fishing trip. The offshore wind joint venture funded the trip for youth from overburdened communities, designed to educate participants about the health and environmental benefits of sustainable fishing, and offer students a chance to learn about marine sciences and offshore wind.

The trip, in partnership with local fishing charter Bogan’s Deep Sea Fishing Center in Brielle, focused on increasing access to the health benefits of sustainable seafood and recreational fishing while highlighting the importance of coastal environments and fisheries firsthand, and future career possibilities in marine science and tourism. Community Offshore Wind team members participated in the trip and talked with students about sustainability, how students can prepare for opportunities in ocean science and related fields, and the interconnection between the offshore wind industry and a thriving marine environment.

“These field trips allow us to work alongside community partners to introduce students to STEM education early in their learning years, sparking a love of science and putting them on pathways to careers in clean energy,” said Pat Johnson, Vice President and Deputy Project Director of Community Offshore Wind. “The offshore wind industry is positioned to create thousands of new jobs across the Northeast, and we’re committed to ensuring New Yorkers who want to pursue these opportunities have the necessary skills and training. Today’s students will become tomorrow’s clean energy workforce, and these trips help build the fundamental knowledge and skills they’ll need to secure the good-paying careers our industry is creating across the region.”

“Many of our students are unaware of the exciting and diverse career opportunities that are possible in the offshore wind industry,” said Tiffani Worthy, CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of All Things Are Possible. “We are thrilled to be working with Community Offshore Wind to bring attention to the possibilities and provide our students with foundational skills that they will be able to carry with them throughout their future careers.”

“We are happy to collaborate with a company that recognizes the importance of responsible marine stewardship and is encouraging today’s students to take an interest in the fishing industry,” said Howard Bogan, of Bogan’s Basin. “Community Offshore Wind has supported field trips on our 125-foot fishing vessel the Jamaica for the past two seasons, and we hope to work with them again next year.”

As a part of this initiative, Community Offshore Wind also led a fishing trip for about a dozen students from the Long Beach Martin Luther King, Jr. Center on Long Island. Community Offshore Wind took additional groups of students from ATAP on fishing field trips last year, offering similar opportunities to learn about sustainable fishing and marine sciences. 

The offshore wind industry in New Jersey has the potential to create more than 20,000 jobs by 2030 across the state, but there is currently a shortage of workers with the skills necessary to qualify for those positions. Community Offshore Wind has made significant investments in programs that increase access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and training programs that provide students from underrepresented communities with the knowledge and skills they will need for jobs in the offshore wind industry.

The fishing industry is an important stakeholder in the development of offshore wind in this region. Community Offshore Wind is committed to building relationships with local fishing communities and has developed collaborative partnerships and responsive strategies to support local fishing communities and promote coexistence between fisheries and offshore wind. Community Offshore Wind is the first offshore wind developer to sign a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), setting an industry standard for environmental monitoring for offshore wind projects and marine ecosystems. 

Community Offshore wind is a joint venture of RWE and National Grid Ventures that will develop more than three gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind on the largest parcel in the New York Bight.