Rhode Island announced a total of 12 new partnerships and $1.6 million in implementation grants to expand “Real Jobs Rhode Island,” a workforce grant program.
The Business Network for Offshore Wind (BNOW), a national non-profit organization dedicated to building the U.S. offshore wind supply chain, is a recent recipient of a grant from Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo — a part of the state’s Real Jobs Rhode Island initiative.
“We thank Governor Raimondo for prioritizing the value of the local supply chain through the implementation of the Real Jobs Rhode Island program grant,” shared Liz Burdock, president & CEO of the, Business Network for Offshore Wind. “As one of the recipients, we look forward to working with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to fully capitalize on the supply chain opportunities that exist for the Block Island Wind Farm, Revolution Wind and neighboring offshore wind projects.”
As part of the grant, BNOW will create opportunities for Rhode Island businesses to enter the offshore wind industry as part of a program called, READY 4 OFFSHORE WIND (read more here, under the Ready 4 Wind section). Through the READY 4 project, BNOW will help educate businesses in the Rhode Island’s offshore wind sector about the supply chain and the role of their business in project development.
Burdock says BNOW will work collaboratively to leverage investment, deliver educational training, conduct outreach and marketing, and foster cooperation with, project developers, Tier 1 suppliers, and labor unions.
“Our primary goal is to create an offshore wind supply chain comprised of local businesses and employing well-trained citizens,” she added. “We envision these strategic partnership to act as an employer-driven entity that identifies training and workforce development needs as offshore wind projects move through the five phases of development. Our expected outcome is to increase competitiveness to support the continued cost reduction in offshore renewables, while simultaneously securing long-term economic benefits for the state of Rhode Island.”
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Policy
