This first-of-its-kind pilot brings together Eastwind and a network of committed regional supply chain companies to create a collaborative and blended approach to industry placements. The initiative aims to unlock much-needed placement hours for students, enabling them to gain meaningful insight into a range of careers within the sector.
Participating companies are offering placements ranging from one day to eight weeks, providing students with flexible, varied, and high-impact experiences. The pilot is not only expanding capacity for placements, but also sets a benchmark for standardizing the quality of work experience offered within the offshore wind industry.
“It’s refreshing to see this pilot being offered by Eastwind,” said Rachel Bunn of East Coast College. “If successful, it will benefit all parties involved—students will gain access to high-quality experiences, companies will connect with future talent, and the sector will build essential capacity to support the next generation of the workforce.”
Denise Hone, Chair of Eastwind, added: “I’m so pleased to see this pilot launched. This is a clear example of our sector stepping up to meet the needs of education providers in our region. Work experience shouldn’t be like winning the lottery—rare and out of reach. It should be available to all.”
This pilot marks an important step in strengthening ties between education and industry, helping to future-proof the offshore wind workforce by giving young people the skills, experience, and inspiration they need to pursue careers in the sector.
