UK's largest wind energy trainer to open Salisbury hub, hire trainers

Julia Rentsch | Salisbury Daily Times

Show Caption Hide Caption WATCH: Arcon Welding trains Salisbury workers Arcon Welding offers a program that trains local worker welding.

Advanced Industrial Solutions, the United Kingdom's largest provider of offshore wind industry training, will open a Salisbury facility in early 2020.

The new training hub, created in partnership with Salisbury-based welding company ARCON, will begin hiring instructors in February or March, said ARCON President and CEO Katarina Ennerfelt.

In total, the number of permanent new jobs at the training center in Northwood Industrial Park will likely be in the dozens, said Salisbury Mayor Jake Day.

"Today's announcement portends the very best things for our community," Day said.

The safety training — which includes fire, first aid, material handling and working at heights — is required for technicians working on offshore wind projects and is regulated by an international standard under the Global Wind Organisation.

As a whole, the renewable energy sector is expected to add 40,000 new jobs nationwide by 2030.

More: U.S. Wind says Ocean City offshore wind project face significant delay

While the first trainees sent to the new facility will likely be training to work on offshore wind projects elsewhere around the U.S., the center will eventually be available to train workers for the wind projects slated for the waters off Ocean City, Day said.

ARCON has operated a welding services training center at its Northwood location since 2015.

At maximum, thousands of trainees could come through Salisbury annually to take classes at the new facility, Day said. As a result of the trainees passing through, more jobs will be created in the hospitality, food service and leisure sectors, he said.

"It's OK that we export talent, so long as they keep coming here to become talented," Day said.

More: Ocean City offshore wind projects: Commission to review turbine size changes

The city's infrastructure, resources and leadership are ready to make Salisbury into a key player in the burgeoning offshore wind industry, said John Cannon, vice president of the Wicomico County Council.

"You have a total package in Wicomico County, in the city of Salisbury, that makes it a perfect environment to grow enterprise, to bring in commerce, to add businesses that want to be a part of this community," Cannon said.

Julia Rentsch is the environmental watchdog reporter at The Daily Times. She can be reached at jrentsch@delmarvanow.com and on Twitter at @julia_rentsch.