Successful Event in Cyprus Highlights Pathway to a Skilled Offshore Renewable Energy Workforce
University of Cyprus, May 27, 2025
The University of Cyprus hosted a forward-looking and collaborative event titled “BUILDING A SKILLED WORKFORCE IN OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY”, gathering educators, industry leaders and experts, students, and policymakers to co-create actionable strategies for workforce development in the growing offshore renewable energy (ORE) sector.
Held at the UCY Library “Stelios Ioannou” and streamed online, the event was structured into two interactive sessions:
- The Co-Design Session (10:00–12:00) focused on identifying current gaps and opportunities across education and training systems. Key discussion areas included:
- Assessing how vocational education and training (VET) and higher education (HE) programmes align with ORE industry needs
- Identifying skill gaps and potential areas for industry-academia collaboration
- Evaluating the effectiveness of current teaching methods, including experiential and digital learning tools
- Proposing improvements to training methods to better prepare learners
- Exploring student career interest and engagement with ORE pathways
- Addressing preparedness gaps and the support mechanisms needed to guide students into ORE careers.
- The Workshop Session (12:00–14:15) transitioned the conversation toward strategic implementation and collaboration. Key themes included:
- Aligning curricula with rapidly evolving technologies and industry requirements
- Addressing immediate skill gaps through flexible, targeted training approaches
- Enhancing student engagement via real-world interaction with industry stakeholders
- Identifying key stakeholders essential for roadmap development and implementation
- Exploring types of partnerships that can support long-term collaboration
- Developing strategies to engage stakeholders across sectors
- Ensuring the sustainability of collaborations through institutional and policy support
The event closed with a networking session that enabled participants to forge connections and explore collaborative pathways for implementing the proposed roadmap.
By integrating insights from both academic and industry spheres, this event marked a crucial step toward equipping future professionals with the skills needed to thrive in the offshore renewable energy sector.
View some highlights from the events:
