The International Partnering Forum, taking place in Rhode Island April 21-24, will launch national offshore industry job fair and workforce development summit
The Oceantic Network, the leading non-profit advocate for U.S. offshore wind at the state, federal and global levels, will host its seventh annual International Partnership Forum (IPF) on April 21-24, 2020 in Providence, Rhode Island.
New this year: the first-ever national offshore wind industry job fair plus a half-day workforce development summit, in partnership with Skills for Rhode Island’s Future. The OSW CareerMatch will showcase jobs at top-tier companies seeking to grow the workforce of the future and recruit qualified candidates. The Offshore Wind Workforce Development and Education Summit, an invitation-only event, will bring together educators, stakeholders, and industry leaders to address current training programs, identify industry employment needs, required skill sets, and how organizations can fulfill these near-term needs. CareerMatch will take place 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, and the Workforce Summit from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., both at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
“The U.S. offshore wind industry has reached the stage that, in order to successfully develop and meet new project demands, will require an available and qualified workforce,” said Liz Burdock, CEO and president of Oceantic Network. “This first-ever national Job Fair will allow top-tier supply chain companies to connect with skilled individuals to discuss projects that are going on as they speak.”
“Hosting the first-of-its-kind offshore wind energy job fair in The Ocean State is apropos,” said Nina Pande, executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future. “Our organization is thrilled to have the unique opportunity to help convene talent at OSW CareerMatch to engage with the employers across the offshore wind supply chain.”
The annual IPF conference is the premier event for the offshore wind supply chain, which is now projected to be a $70 billion revenue opportunity through 2030. Fully developing this supply chain will foster local economic growth, provide thousands of jobs, and help offshore wind energy meet its potential. If fully built out worldwide, offshore wind could power 18 times the world’s current electricity needs.
The exhibit and conference sells out every year and is again on track to draw over 2,500 industry professionals representing over 575 companies, all focused on sharing valuable insights on how to move the emerging U.S. wind industry forward. The full conference schedule may be seen online here. More details, including special guest speakers, will be announced soon.
Additional Information:
- Photos for press use (Credit: Oceantic Network)
- International Partnering Forum conference website
- OSW CareerMatch Registration website
About Oceantic Network
Oceantic Network is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a robust offshore wind supply chain in the U.S. It advances the industry forward through education, facilitating partnerships, and events, including the International Offshore Wind Partnership Forum, the largest offshore wind conference in America. Learn more at offshorewindus.org.
About Skills for Rhode Island’s Future
Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (SkillsRI) is a nonprofit working to match businesses that have current, unmet hiring needs with qualified, unemployed and underemployed job seekers. It is supported by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training in partnership with the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.
