SUNY Morrisville receives $500K grant for wind-technician training

SUNY Morrisville renewable-energy student Lawrence Kuma climbs one of the towers in the college’s Agricultural and Clean Energy Technology Center. Tower climbing will be one of the classes included in upcoming wind-technician training, funded through a grant the college was awarded. (PHOTO CREDIT: ALLISA COOMEY)

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville is one of eight SUNY institutions to receive a $500,000 grant from the Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI) to prepare a skilled workforce for careers in the offshore wind industry, the school announced.

Colleges will use the funds to expand workforce development and training initiatives for jobs in constructing, manufacturing, installing, operating, and maintaining offshore wind farms.

SUNY Morrisville plans to begin wind-technician training this summer, provide K-12 career awareness, and conduct recruiting and coordination with workforce-development organizations. Additional plans include running high school and BOCES teacher workshops with sessions on offshore/industrial wind among the topics.

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“Through this grant program, we are equipping students with the tools they need to fill the clean energy jobs of the future and build a greener New York for generations to come,” Gov. Kathy Hochul contended in a news release.

SUNY Morrisville offers a bachelor of technology degree in renewable energy. It also offers an associate degree in renewable–energy technology to prepare people for jobs in renewable–energy fields including grid-tied solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, micro hydroelectric, heat pumps, and bioenergy systems. The college brings 15 years of renewable–energy workforce development experience through its Renewable Energy Training Center and has developed and taught K-12 renewable energy and other training programs.