Powering Offshore Wind Careers: NREL and Julius Education Build a Workforce Blueprint

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Julius Education are transforming the offshore wind workforce. As this clean energy sector grows, they have mapped over 250 key job titles, creating a framework that defines job roles, skills, certifications, and education requirements to meet industry demands.

By leveraging past studies like NREL’s Offshore Wind Workforce Report, job titles were aligned with Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes. Julius Education analyzed over 28,000 job postings from platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn using AI tools to identify common qualifications. This work was refined through NREL and Julius experts and supplemented with federal resources like O*NET.

The result is a publicly available dataset providing clarity and consistency for hiring, training, and workforce development. The framework also integrates CIP Codes (educational programs) and RAPIDS Codes (apprenticeships) to align job titles with broader training systems.

By standardizing occupational language and requirements, NREL and Julius have created a foundation for workforce planning that supports collaboration among educators, employers, and policymakers. This initiative paves the way for offshore wind to deliver clean energy and economic growth with a skilled and prepared workforce.