Offshore wind energy short course for VET trainers

The purpose of this training is to teach general concepts of offshore wind turbines, such as the types of turbines and their components, as well as maintenance methodologies that should be applied to them, always taking into account safety at work. The course will have a theoretical part but the main content will be practical. On the one hand, the theory of wind energy and wind maintenance of the turbines in general will be taught. The practical part will include a) Health and safety at heights and confined spaces b) climb a real wind turbine and c) VR applied to maintenance of a turbine. To develop this part, we will have the satmawind.com tool that is available in English.

Target participants:

• VET teachers interested in the offshore wind energy sector. HE and University trainers on the following subjects: Energy systems, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering are also welcome.

Methodology

This workshop will be undertaken with the interactive tool satmawind.com, which provides a general understanding of the operation and maintenance of wind turbines. Practical training focused on health and safety as well as access and evacuation conditions at a wind turbine will be taught. Most of the professors/trainers who teach subjects related to wind energy have not had the possibility of climbing a wind turbine. Therefore, this course will probe how important is to have first-hand experience when teaching subjects to future blue-collar workers.

Topics

• Types of turbines
• Health and safety at heights and confined spaces
• Climb a real wind turbine
• VR applied to maintenance of a turbine

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level

• Level 4 to Level 7

Course Instructors

• Jose Luis Vázquez Otero
• Gustavo Adolfo Rodríguez Pérez

MATES ‘Strategy Baseline Report’ Lines Of Actions being addressed

The MATES Strategy Baseline report consists of results which were obtained from the extensive work carried out by the MATES partners; workshops with experts, Delphi questionnaires, desk-top studies and surveys. This report synthesises the MATES strategy baseline to bridge the skills gap between training offers and the industry demands in the Maritime Technologies value chain. The full report can be accessed here. Below are the Lines of Actions identified in the report (see pages 17 and 18) which the Offshore Renewable Energy Short Course will address (ORE = offshore renewable energies):

• ORE3: Develop synergies among sectors with significant similarities in their needs to promote skills transferability between them (e.g. Oil and gas, offshore wind energy, ocean energy)
• ORE4: Skills diversification from parallel sectors
• ORE5: Multi-disciplinary skills outside of specialisation
• ORE10: Promote/enhance 21st Century skills: adapted to the different needs of ‘blue collar’ and “white collar” roles: teamwork, communication, analytical skills. (Also referred to as soft skills, and including capacities such as creative thinking and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, knowledge management and transfer, flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, productivity and accountability).
• ORE12: Promoting STEM women in ORE