EU project FLORES kicks off to boost skills in the Offshore Renewable Energy sector

Forward Looking at the Offshore Renewable Energies (FLORES)

• 15 partners from 8 countries collaborate in the EU project “Forward Looking at the Offshore Renewable Energies”, developing tools and activities to foster skills in the sector.
• The 2-year project will feed into the European Pact for Skills, promoting a strong and large-scale partnership to promote upskilling and reskilling of Europeans of all ages to boost Offshore Renewables.

FLORES focuses centres its efforts on:

- the spread of skills through dedicated training offers

- promotion of careers in the sector, a Skills Observatory,

- sustainable partnerships to ensure the long-term success of this initiative. SEE MORE

The Offshore Renewable Energies (ORE) sector today accounts for around 80,000 jobs and is expected to generate up to 54,000 new vacancies in the next 5 years across Europe. As in many other industries, there are significant challenges to meet the increasing demand for qualified professionals who actually have the skills required. This is where FLORES expects to “make a difference”.“ FLORES willdevelop training materials suitable for all ages, thus promoting the benefits of stable and well-paid careers in this sector, able to attract both youth and workers from other sectors. These efforts will be coupled with regional pilot actions aiming to adapt training materials to the needs of Europe’s sea basins in the Atlantic, the Baltic and the Mediterranean, while laying the foundation for future similar groups all across Europe in a strong large-scale partnership on ORE skills embedded within the European Pact for Skills.

To accomplish this ambitious task, 15 organizations across 8 countries in Europe have teamed up: from Spain, CETMAR, Asime and University of Coruña; from Greece, the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas CERTH; from Belgium, Windeurope, University of Gent, IndustriAllEuropean Trade Union and the European Marine Board ; from Ireland, AqualexMultimedia Consortium; from the Netherlands Deftiq and Bluespring; from Germany, the Submariner Network for Blue Growth; from France, the Lycée FulgenceBienvenüe and the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions; and from Italy mareFVG, the Maritime Technology Cluster.