WindWorks For You - Offshore Wind Resources

The True Collective Inc. Clean Energy Forum was a great convening of folks committed to engaging the community to ensure they are better informed about tangible tactics to get started in energy careers.

From the start, it was clear this wasn't just another conversation about clean energy. From The Green Carpet, hosted by the Diversity Duo of Maria Gonzalez and Lisa Westgate, to the way Samia Walker hosted and welcomed the room with care and intentionality, to the way Tanya J. Lobo grounded the vision in real community impact… it was all organic, with a village vibration.

The panel, led by Shonté Davidson, didn't drift. It stayed focused on what matters. Access. Workforce pathways. What it actually takes to connect communities to this work in a real way. I was honored to be a part of such an audacious and meaningful panel of doers and changemakers.

All of the panelists were thoughtful, eager, and brimming with enthusiasm for the future of energy diversity and for the equity of opportunity so that everyone can be engaged in the shift. Whether you're a small business supporting industries or a community member looking for skilled careers with livable salaries, the entire dialogue was centered on the benefit of others.

It was a pleasure sharing space with:

Shalaya M. | Jon Gray | Kristen Stelljes | Moneer Azzam | Gilmara Barbosa

and all of the community members who came out to soak in the information and utilize the resources

We showed up as MANSA and WindWorksForYou with a simple goal.

Make it tangible!

And I've got to recognize our WindWorks Youth Ambassadors, Nyla, Egypt, and Amadeus. They held down the WindWorks table all night, connected with people, and made sure the moment didn't just happen; it was captured. That's how this work grows not just through panels, but through presence.

A huge thank you to Brandan Burke, for taking the time to work with the WindWorksForYou team and pouring into the SkillsUp youth yesterday!

Brandan delivered an impactful presentation that connected the dots between the skilled trades, real estate, financial literacy, and the pathway to homeownership. From credit scores and investing to career exploration and understanding how the trades support the housing industry, our young people were able to see how all of these pieces work together in real life.

What made this session especially powerful was the honesty and relatability behind the conversation. The youth asked thoughtful questions about careers, saving money, stocks, debt, apprenticeships, and future goals, and Brandan met every question with patience, transparency, and encouragement.

One of the biggest takeaways was helping our students understand that careers in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, engineering, architecture, and other skilled trades are directly connected to building communities, creating wealth, and opening doors to opportunities like real estate investing and homeownership.

We’re grateful for community leaders like Brandan who continue to show up for the next generation and help make financial literacy and career pathways feel accessible, practical, and achievable.

Thank you again for helping our youth think bigger about their future and for reminding them that discipline, planning, relationships, and knowledge can create long-term opportunity.

Conversations, access, and opportunity, this is the energy surrounding the vibrations for tomorrow! We step into that space at the True Clean Energy Forum: Leadership in Action in Taunton.

MANSA Consultants and WindWorksForYou are delighted to be joining this conversation and stepping onto the panel to talk about what it really takes to build equitable pathways into the clean energy workforce.

We’re bringing more than just words.
We’re bringing resources, perspective, and our Vineyard Wind 1 VR experience to give people a real, immersive look at what offshore wind looks like up close. Once you can see it, you can start to believe there’s a place for you in it.

It’s about access.
It’s about awareness.
And it’s about making sure our communities aren’t just hearing about the future… but actively stepping into it.

If you’re in the area, pull up. Be part of the conversation.

Special thanks to True Collective Inc. for having us share our journey with their audience.

A student stood quietly at the edge of the WindWorks table today, watching others try the V.R. headset before finally asking:

“So this is what working offshore actually looks like?”

A few minutes later, they were fully immersed inside Vineyard Wind 1, turning their head in every direction, asking questions about turbines, safety, training, and how someone from New Bedford could get involved in this kind of work. That moment stayed with us, because sometimes community awareness doesn’t begin with a presentation. Sometimes it begins with a single moment where something suddenly feels possible.

Today at the MassHire Youth Expo, WindWorks had the opportunity to engage with hundreds of high school students from across SouthCoast Massachusetts. What we witnessed throughout the day was bigger than career exploration.

We saw curiosity turn into conversation.
Conversation turn into confidence.
And confidence begin turning into vision for the future.

Students asked thoughtful questions about offshore wind, workforce training, clean energy careers, and what pathways actually exist for them right here in their own communities. Some were interested in engineering. Others wanted to learn about hands-on trades, technology, safety training, and leadership opportunities connected to the growing energy industry.

For many young people, this was their first time interacting directly with the industry in a tangible way. This matters because when young people can physically experience something, speak with professionals face-to-face, and see people investing time into their future, industries stop feeling distant.

That’s the purpose behind WindWorks!
Not simply promoting careers.
But building bridges between community, exposure, education, and opportunity.

We’re deeply grateful to MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center and MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board for continuing to create spaces where students can explore possibilities, ask questions, and connect directly with organizations committed to workforce development and community impact.

Two days. A room full of young people. And countless moments where possibility became visible!

Today, WindWorksForYou closed out Day 2 of our Career Awareness Training at the National Offshore Wind Institute - NOWI. The day started with reflection. Young people revisited the experiences from Day 1 and began asking themselves bigger questions:

“Where do I see myself in this industry?”
“What strengths do I already carry?”
“What could my future actually look like?”

Those conversations opened the door to something powerful. Participants explored IWNL Energy - Innovation, Workforce & Learning, and the Energy Career Navigator, learned about Massachusetts Climate Careers pathways, and connected workforce resources directly to their own interests, goals, and lived experiences.

But the heart of the day came during the storytelling roundtable.

Hearing NOWI leadership and trainers speak honestly about how they found their pathways into offshore wind changed the atmosphere in the room. The stories weren’t polished or perfect. They were real. Stories about uncertainty, growth, opportunity, resilience, and taking chances on careers people once knew nothing about.

Then came the shift.

Young people began interviewing their peers themselves. Asking questions. Sharing dreams. Talking openly about where they see themselves in the future. Some spoke about engineering. Others about hands-on trades, technology, leadership, and community impact.

The day continued with immersive V.R. exploration of Vineyard Wind 1, turbine model assembly activities, group reflection, and a closing lunch presentation, where conversations around offshore wind, workforce development, and future pathways continued beyond the classroom with a unique trivia format and a highly engaged dialogue.

WindWorks was created to help communities see themselves in industries shaping the future. Over these two days, we witnessed young people begin doing exactly that.

And this is only the beginning.

Special thanks to Tim Brown, Angela Johnston, Sara Butler, Michael Johnson, and the rest of the Bristol and NOWI team for sharing space and your career journeys with Youthbuild New Bedford and the SkillsUp/Building Pathways South crew of future leaders!

Nobody walked into TODAY expecting to race in PPE gear, practice buddy safety checks, explore sea survival labs, or start seriously thinking about where they belong in the future of clean energy.

But that’s exactly what happened. ⚡🌎

Today, WindWorks welcomed young people into the National Offshore Wind Institute (NOWI) for Day 1 of our Career Awareness Training, and from the moment the conversations started, the energy in the room shifted.

The day began with a simple question:
“What’s Your Energy?”

Not just what career interests you. Not just what job sounds good. But what motivates you, what strengths you already carry, and how those strengths might connect to an industry actively growing right here in our own region.

Throughout the morning, participants stepped directly into the world of offshore wind and clean energy through hands-on PPE exploration, safety demonstrations, relay challenges, and instructor-led activities that showed how teamwork, communication, and awareness play a critical role in industry culture.

Then came the facility tour.

From Working at Heights and Fire Awareness to Sea Survival and the BTT Labs, young people had the opportunity to experience training environments that many had never seen before. For some participants, this was the first time industry pathways felt tangible instead of distant.

What made today powerful wasn’t just the equipment or the technology. It was the realization that these spaces, careers, and opportunities are not out of reach.

The conversations during career planning, union trades discussions, and the Energy Career Navigator presentation helped participants begin connecting the dots between their interests, their goals, and real workforce pathways available to them.

That’s what WindWorks is really about.

Creating moments where exposure turns into confidence.

Where curiosity turns into direction.
And where young people begin seeing themselves in rooms they may have never imagined before.

Day 1 was impactful.

Day 2, we go even deeper.

Special thanks to YouthBuildNB and SkillsUp for partaking in this amazing day of awareness!

Back again for another year at the MassHire Youth Expo! ⚡🌎

This week, WindWorks is proud to continue providing resources, community awareness, and unique experiences that introduce young people to opportunities in the energy industry and beyond.

These conversations matter. Exposure creates possibilities, and we’re excited to connect with students, families, and future leaders right here in our community.

Big thank you to MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board for continuing to create spaces that empower youth and strengthen workforce pathways across our region.

If you’re attending, come stop by and connect with the WindWorks team!

We’re truly grateful to have been part of such an incredible day with Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts yesterday.

Being in the room with more than 250 young people, all showing up with curiosity, energy, and openness to what’s possible, is exactly why this work is important. Thank you and your team for creating a space where connection, exposure, and opportunity can take place.

We appreciate the partnership and the opportunity to contribute, and we’re looking forward to continuing to build together.

Please visit their website to learn all the wonderful happenings taking place at JA: jasouthernma.org