Offshore wind developer Ocean Winds has launched a scholarship fund to support young learners.
The cash will help undergraduates cover their study and living costs, with £3,000 a year available, or up to a maximum of £12,000 for a four-year course.
To encourage interest in the local offshore wind sector the funds are open to school leavers from Moray and north Aberdeenshire – the university where students choose to study is only limited to the UK.
A broad range of courses will be eligible, simply requiring some connection with a future role in the offshore wind sector.
Recruitment opportunity
While not assured, it is hoped that some of the funded students may in time be recruited by Ocean Winds to work on the growing portfolio of Scottish projects.
Ocean Winds is a 50-50 joint venture launched in 2020 by Spain’s EDP Renewables and France’s ENGIE.
The company is behind the Moray East offshore wind farm off Fraserburgh, which is currently Scotland’s largest.
It is also progressing the development’s sister site, Moray West, and was a successful bidder in the ScotWind leasing round.
Attract offshore wind workforce
Ocean Winds UK country manager Adam Morrison said: “Ocean Winds recognises the urgent need to help our future workforce be attracted to our rapidly growing sector and become educated for the exciting challenges we can offer.
“Our existing STEM programme is helping to raise awareness of the fantastic opportunities in our sector.
“Now our targeted scholarship fund will help young undergraduates from the regions around our O&M bases get a significant foot forward against the costs of choosing to study for a degree.
“We continue to strive to convey the passion we feel for the need, value and satisfaction of all the varied roles in our sector.
“We hope students will submit applications for the Ocean Winds scholarship fund on a potential pathway to a role with Ocean Winds or the wider offshore wind sector.
“We are constantly looking for enthusiastic amazing young people to help us deliver commercial scale wind farms off Scotland, to keep on growing the clean energy our country urgently needs to meet its energy transition objectives.”
