Lt. Governor Carney Gets Commitment From Bluewater Wind To Help Develop A Workforce Training Program

Lt. Governor John Carney announced today that Bluewater Wind and its parent company, Babcock & Brown, have committed to partner with a two-year college, such as Delaware Technical & Community College, to develop a regional training program for wind turbine maintenance technicians, provided approval of the proposed wind farm project. Babcock & Brown's commitment includes a $150,000 grant to help Del Tech develop this program, as well as significant contributions in the way of technical expertise.

"This is a great opportunity for our State and the many students who will benefit from such a training program," said Lt. Governor John Carney. "The wind power industry is set to grow rapidly over the next few decades, and with Babcock & Brown's previous commitment to locate their regional hub in Delaware, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of high-paying jobs will need to be filled. This partnership would create the skilled workforce here in Delaware that Babcock & Brown, as well as other companies in the industry, will need to meet their demand."

Using programs from other parts of the country as a guide, Delaware's program could offer three levels of training:

• A six month non-credit course for entry level basic technicians

• A one year intermediate course for mid-level entry

• A two year associate degree program that would provide the skills and knowledge necessary to become an advanced level technician or operator

Currently, there is no training program for wind turbine maintenance technicians on the East Coast.

"This is clearly an opportunity that we should take advantage of," said Lt. Governor Carney. "We have the chance to get in on the ground floor of this growing industry, and I'm going to continue to push for this project and work to make it happen."

For more information about today's event, please call Lt. Governor Carney's office at (302) 577-8787.

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