World’s leading offshore wind developer Ørsted has opened its largest-ever apprenticeship recruitment campaign for its UK East Coast offshore wind farms.
The announcement is for the first phase of 2023 applications for roles located on the East Coast. The second stage will see positions available on the West Coast.
By the end of 2023, 18 apprentices will have kick-started their renewable energy career in Grimsby with Ørsted, the developer said.
The programme spans three and a half years and the apprentices will study at Grimsby Institute for Higher Education, for their first year, before getting hands-on experience working at one of Ørsted’s six East Coast offshore wind farms during their second and third years.
With a minimum age limit of 16 for applicants, there’s no maximum age for people to apply for an apprenticeship with Ørsted.
The company asks for applicants to have three GSCEs c/4 and above, including Maths English, and Science or a technical subject.
Upon completion of the programme, apprentices will gain a Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (MOET) qualification and will become fully qualified wind turbine technicians, the wind developer said.
With the government’s ambition of 50 GW offshore wind for 2030, the need for people to either start their career or transition into the green energy revolution is more pressing than ever, according to Ørsted.
Ørsted has 6.2 GW operational across 13 UK offshore wind farms which provide enough electricity to power over seven million homes.
One of its largest projects on the East Coast is the 1.2 GW Hornsea One, located in the North Sea off the east coast of England, which became fully operational in January 2020.
Another wind farm, developed by Ørsted, that was fully commissioned in August of 2022, is the 1.3 GW Hornsea Two, that now holds the title of the world’s largest wind farm in operation.