SHOREWINNER Project conference paper wins Best Paper Award at EDUCON

The paper progresses the SHOREWINNER project’s work with evidence-informed action, helping bridge the skills and training gap within the Offshore Renewable Energy sector.

The SHOREWINNER team, including Aquatera senior consultants Natalia Arure Alvarez Rojas and Xabier Remírez Perea, alongside collaborators from the Universidade da Coruña and Centro Tecnolóxico do Mar – Fundación CETMAR, have published a conference paper written for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)’s Global Engineering Conference (EDUCON), Navigating the Future of Offshore Renewable Energy Education: Insights from Students, Teachers and Industry Stakeholders.

Informed by surveys and interviews with students, educators and industry professionals, the publication analyses the current state of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) education in Spain, comprehensively reviewing hard, technical skills, as well as interpersonal and soft skills. The conference paper gives a holistic picture of the demand for skills in this rapidly expanding sector; its research has yielded findings which will support the SHOREWINNER project’s aim to strengthen vocational excellence and fostering collaboration amongst Southern European Centres of Vocational Excellence. 

The findings underline systemic barriers to effective training, identifies limited internship opportunities and deficiency in coordination between educational institutions and industry companies. The paper also highlights underrepresentation of women in ORE, underlining the need for inclusive pathways to careers in the sector.

We hope that outcomes from the SHOREWINNER project’s research will shape the development of inclusive and robust education and skill pathways to support the success of the offshore renewables sector across Europe.

Access the article here: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11574199