High school students across Hampton Roads explore offshore wind opportunities
High school students from across Hampton Roads visited the Portsmouth Marine Terminal this week, touring the future site of an offshore wind energy facility to explore career opportunities.
The buses went through the port terminal where the blades for the offshore wind turbines will be assembled and maintained in a $200 million facility under construction.
“They’re showing us the fact that you have all this reusable wind technology in the making that’s pretty cool,” Nahsir Brazell, a senior at Norfolk Technical Center, said. “I feel like not only is it about the windmills and technology. It’s about how they’re giving us job opportunities ... I’m kind of grateful for them doing that.”
Students from career and technical education programs from Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Suffolk schools started the Wind Energy Rocks 2 event on a bus, touring the construction site of a future blade finishing plant for offshore wind turbines. Representatives from Dominion Energy, the Virginia Port Authority and others showed the students the 200-acre site and answered questions about the technology and future opportunities.
“That’s really the main purpose ... (connecting) area high school young adults and bringing them in to see the awesome opportunity that offshore wind presents to this region,” said Patrick Kinsman, Virginia Port Authority’s vice president of offshore wind development.
He added he felt it was important for the students to hear about these opportunities — not all students want to attend college, and many of these jobs offer good starting salaries.
Following the tour, students went to Tidewater Community College for lunch, swag and the chance to mingle.
Groups including the port authority, TCC, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Dominion Energy and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, which is investing in the incoming facility, made presentations. All spoke to the possible careers the students could pursue after high school.
Many spoke on not just the need for skilled workers in welding, electrical work and more all across the region — especially with the offshore wind energy site coming to the area — but also the benefits the students could consider as they look forward to life after high school.
This is the second Wind Energy Rocks event. Students from Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach had a similar opportunity in April, according to a WINDSdays press release. Joel Rubin, director of the WINDSdays campaign, said during the presentations that the partnerships and students coming together represented “regionalism” and was a change to hear from professionals in the trades.
James Jones, a welding instructor at Norfolk Public Schools, said the event was a good opportunity for the students to get a “bigger picture” of the opportunities out there for them. He pointed out that with the new offshore wind industry coming to the area, the students could have a unique opportunity to get involved at the start.
He also appreciates that the students were able to come out for the event, as COVID had made it difficult for the students to see real-world experiences that go with what they’re learning in class.
“Now we can get back to the real world and try to make a better place for the next generation, because you know they are the future,” Jones said.
Kelsey Kendall, kelsey.kendall@virginiamedia.com
