The development of Taiwan’s offshore wind energy industry has recently drawn extensive attention as the government continues its effort to promote energy transition. Its clear market size has also attracted investments from numerous foreign companies. Under the “industrial localization” policy, the first priority of all developers is to fulfill the goal of localized manufacturing, which further increases the demand for talent development among industrial chain in Taiwan. The report by the Green Energy Industry Promotion Center under the Ministry of Economic Affairs estimates the need for professionals in the offshore wind energy industry from 2019 to 2021, at least 20,000 jobs will be created and the number of core professionals will reach 2,100 or so by 2025.
In response to the urgent need for talent in this industry, the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) will launch the Employment Guidance Program for Offshore Wind Energy and Marine Engineering Projects with a 100% subsidy from the Ministry of Labor’s second phase Industrial Talent Pilot Program. Targeting the many job seekers who are eager to work in the offshore wind energy industry, this program consists of a series of customized academic and technical courses. The 18-day program will not only help trainees obtain the GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) certificate, but also enable trainees to put into practice what they’ll have learned in such courses as an introduction to offshore wind energy and marine engineering as well as Chinese and English terminology and conversation practices for the industry. Additionally, a variety of panel discussions with experts in offshore wind energy-related fields will be held, and trainees may interact with manufacturers through interviews and matchmaking events.
Since the information about this program was released, MIRDC has received a lot of applications and inquiries, as well as training requests from manufacturers. MIRDC has recently signed a MOU with Taiwan Marine Heavy Industries (TMHI) for a training project that combines resources from the industry, academic and research institutions in order to ensure smooth development of the offshore wind energy industry while working on industrial localization. More importantly, the MOU aims to meet the goal of localized manufacturing, for which a specified number of crew members should be employed on Taiwanese offshore wind vessels. MIRDC and TMHI have designed a vocational training program that consists of four modules, including: entry-level, advanced professional, and practical courses for workers in the offshore wind energy industry, as well as practical training on operating vessels at sea. In addition, trainees can optionally complete GWO training courses and the country’s only Slinger Signaller (SLS) training course, which are comprehensive and useful options for industrial workers who would like to become green energy professionals.
The Maritime Technology Innovation Center (MTIC), located in Xingda Port in Kaohsiung, is expected to be inaugurated by the end of this year as part of the MIRDC’s continuing effort to help propel the growth of Taiwan’s industries. In the future, trainees will be able to use this brand-new site equipped with GWO-certified professional facilities and receive training by lecturers certified by Maersk Training, an internationally renowned offshore wind training provider. Any person interested in working in the offshore wind energy industry and manufacturers with training needs are welcome to ask for information about related programs or lectures by calling or emailing to Manager Wang: 07-3513121#3205 or gwotraining@mail.mirdc.org.tw.
The Employment Guidance Program for Offshore Wind Energy and Marine Engineering Projects, subsidized by the Ministry of Labor, will also be launched in the first half of 2021. A total of four sessions will be available for registration starting from January 21, 2021. Each session lasts 18 days (144 hours in total) and costs NT$ 100,000. To be eligible for a full subsidy, applicants must be unemployed and aged 18 - 29. For more details about the program and registration for the four sessions, please go to: https://reurl.cc/m9b4El.