Ørsted collaborated with our important local partner, Da-Yeh University, to launch the Apprenticeship Programme in 2019, combining Ørsted’s long-term offshore wind experience in Europe with the university’s local expertise in technical education. Ørsted also committed extra resources to the programme, including dispatching industry experts to give lectures and donating a nacelle for teaching purposes. Depending on the development and completion schedules of the Greater Changhua projects, which have a potential total capacity of 2.4 GW, Ørsted will recruit at least 12 apprentices.
The two students stood out from the applicants by demonstrating excellent team spirit, safety awareness, problem solving abilities, and English skills in the group and individual interviews. Starting from September, they will begin the official training, while enjoying subsidies for their tuition fees, housing reimbursement and allowances provided by Ørsted.
In their senior year, they will be coached by veteran industry experts and gain experience through engaging in real-life wind turbine maintenance work at the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms. Qualified apprentices will have the opportunity to become official Ørsted employees.
Christy Wang, General Manager of Ørsted Taiwan, says: “The Greater Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms, which are located off the coast of Changhua, are scheduled for completion by 2022 with a capacity enough to supply clean energy to around 1 million Taiwanese households. Ørsted is dedicated to creating business opportunities and offering quality jobs in Central Taiwan. Through partnering with universities in Changhua, we combine our global leading offshore wind experience with Taiwan's solid education system to nurture O&M talents and establish Changhua as Taiwan’s green energy hub.”
Chen Yu-rui, said that initially he studied in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management but decided to change his major to Mechanical and Automation Engineering after getting to know the Ørsted-Da-Yeh Apprenticeship Programme. He believed that renewable energy is an industry with great prospects and quality job opportunities, therefore he decided to transfer to the Mechanical and Automation Engineering Department and joined the Programme to expand his professional skills.
Chen Yu-rui said the offshore wind industry attaches greater value to practical experience, so his teacher took them for a tour of the industry and the students also participated in offshore safety training courses. The most memorable moment was being asked to jump from a 3- to 4-meter-high platform into a pool on a cold day and exercise their survival skills. The training was exhausting, but he realised that as an O&M technician, one needs to be able to work independently and as a team.
He said that receiving the notice of being selected for the Apprenticeship Programme made it all the hard work over these past two years worthwhile and he will continue to build on his professional skills in order to achieve the goal of joining the offshore wind industry.
Chen Yu-Rei, a junior in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Da-Yeh University, said that he is always aware of environmental issues, which are common problems for the world, and that green energy has become one of the future trends. In his freshman year, Chen joined a competition, making energy efficient cars. Moreover, he said the lectures given by Ørsted over the past two years and the nacelle model played an important role to enhance his practical experience. When receiving the Ørsted’s call confirming his acceptance to the Programme, he was so surprised that his mind went blank, and it took a while to regain his senses. Chen said he is very excited about the upcoming trainings.
Wu Hong-yun, Director of the Wind Power Education and Training Centre at Da-Yeh University, said that it has been such a pleasure to work with Ørsted and launch the Apprenticeship Programme. The industry-academic collaboration enabled the localisation of O&M techniques and capabilities, talent cultivation, and a broader and promising career path for the students. Wu encourages his students to apply for the Programme next year and hopes to see more youngsters registering for the offshore wind introductory course to explore the vast possibilities of future careers in this industry.
