Ørsted has allocated more than GBP 50,000 from the Walney Extension Skills Fund to two groups from the Lancashire and Cumbria area, the UK, for STEM projects.
Nearly GBP 40,000 goes to STEM Learning Ltd to develop two ENTHUSE Partnership projects, each of which will bring together eight schools and colleges from within the eligible funding area to develop a two-year intensive improvement program to raise achievement and aspiration in STEM subjects.
The second award of GBP 14,000 is granted to the Science Learning Partnership to support the introduction and running of a STEM project for 11 schools that make up the Furness Education Consortium. Over 600 pupils will be encouraged to work on a project and prepare for an interschool competition which involves students using the key employability skills supported by STEM.
“The growth of the offshore wind industry in the UK is creating fantastic career opportunities for local people on their own doorsteps,” said Imran Nawaz , Ørsted’s Stakeholder Advisor.
“Through initiatives like our Skills Funds, we aim to provide access to the skills and training needed to take advantage of these opportunities.”
The 659MW Walney Extension project comprises 40 MHI Vestas 8MW turbines and 47 Siemens Gamesa 7MW turbines which were officially inaugurated at the beginning of September last year.
Each year, approximately GBP 600,000 is made available for skills and community projects for the expected 25-year lifetime of the wind farm.