WASHINGTON—As employment opportunities in the sustainable energy sector advance, elected officials representing New York State announced $3,828,000 in federal funding for the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry to help establish a Global Wind Organization onshore and offshore wind safety training facility in Walden, NY (Orange County) to train New Yorkers for careers in clean energy.

Christopher Erikson, Business Manager of Local 3 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said, “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce, the training and work opportunities created by this grant will have a meaningful and positive impact on our current and future members who will work on the offshore wind projects critical to achieving the climate goals of New York State and our nation.”

He added, “In conjunction with the Joint Industry Board’s Educational and Cultural Trust Fund and our signatory contractors in NECA New York, we will be able to construct a world-class facility in line with Local 3’s values of education, safety and training.”

He thanked U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan who announced the funding on Sept. 18. He noted that this grant will benefit Local 3’s members “who are eager to do their part in building offshore wind projects up and down our coastlines.”

The federal funding, administered through the Economic Development Administration’s Economic Adjustment Assistance program, will be used to renovate a 10,000-square-foot building owned by the Educational and Cultural Trust Fund of the Electrical Industry. This project is expected to provide training for 490 workers and provide support for 2,870 existing jobs. The facility will offer a wind safety skills program based on the GWO’s existing curriculum to boost the safety of wind power facility workers and train the next generation of the growing domestic wind energy workforce.

The safety training facility will feature a working-at-height training module platform, a sea survival platform, a sea rescue tank, three classrooms, a storage room, a fire awareness training room, and a helicopter underwater escape training platform. The safety training is necessary for all workers on offshore wind platforms and will allow them to enter this growing renewable energy sector.