Project Template
Project Name: BEEMS (Building European Environmental Maritime Skills)
Logo:
Project Aims:
 Stimulate the growth and development of the offshore wind-energy industry through
environmental and maritime skills training.
 Establish the requirements for developing and retaining a skilled, flexible and ready-formarket workforce to deliver growth.
 The joint understanding of the commercial commonalities and differences of the cross
border marine renewable energy sector.
Project Outputs
1. Publish a cross border Employment Strategy and Skills Plan.
2. Promote the adoption of a cross border training programme and certification in baseline skills for
operations and maintenance in the Marine Renewable Energy sector.
3. Establish a cross border employment, skills and training network.
Summary of the project (no more than 750 words)
In the context of the UK and French Governments’ commitment to meet their respective EU low
carbon emission targets by 2020, the aim of BEEMS has been to stimulate the development and
sustained growth of environmental and maritime skills within the marine renewable energy industry
(offshore wind, wave and tidal flow), and to increase the sector’s economic viability through
enhanced cross-border co-operation and joint working.
The vision of BEEMS was the adoption of a common standard for developing and realising workforce
employment opportunities and practices in the offshore wind energy sector throughout the cross
border region.
In seeking to realise this vision, BEEMS has drawn together 12 partners and 3 participants
representing the local and regional authorities; industry sector businesses and associations;
educational institutions; and training providers. Together the BEEMS Partnership has aimed to:
1. Stimulate the development and sustained growth of environmental and maritime skills within the
offshore wind energy industry operating in the Channel Programme partnership territories.
2. Increase the sector’s economic viability through enhanced cross-border co-operation and joint
working.
BEEMS has worked extensively with global companies in the marine renewable energy industry
through networks at RenewableUK and directly via the BEEMS partners in localities brokering
support for the development of the industry and its current and future training needs, such as the
French GRETA’s. Through DAFPIC we were discussing benchmarking standards by comparing the
new BTS Technical Wind Turbine Maintenance qualification being launched in September 2014 in
France with the UK National Skills Academy for Power (NSAP) Competency framework for wind
turbine operations and maintenance.
The project is also contributing to the thinking and development about both common procedural
standards that form part of the syllabus for training and common training standards themselves
through industry bodies such National Skills Academy for Power, the Energy Institute, RenewableUK
Renewable Training Network (RTN), the Wind Turbine Training Provider’s Network and another EU
project called ATTP, because achieving common industry training standards for global companies is
an essential milestone towards having in place common industry training for France and the UK in a
global market.
Our BEEMS Conference in May 2014 saw the Technical Training Manager from Siemens in his key
note speech validating the need for common industry training standards in certain aspects and
recognised the work that BEEMS had done towards this journey and EDF-EN co-designed the
conference presentation from MEF Du Cotentin about Human resources needs and the value of
having common skills identified in a global business.
This strategic objectives of the BEEMS project were:
1. Secure a joint understanding of the commercial commonalities and differences of the crossborder marine renewable energy sector, and its specific requirements for developing and retaining a
skilled and ready-for-market workforce that meets short, medium and long term growth in the
offshore wind energy industry.
2. Engage with cross-border sector employers and training providers to broker and establish an
offshore wind energy industry employment strategy and skills training plan that meets industry
needs in skills development, training, apprenticeships and workforce retention.
3. Develop a cross-border offshore wind energy industry skills training and apprenticeship
programme that will meet the educational, social and economic needs of unemployed people or
those with low level skills.
4. Develop and evaluate cross-border practical approaches and techniques that improve
performance and long term employability, including a skills escalator, study trips and exchanges.
5. Enhance opportunities for SME’s in the partnership territories to benefit from the development of
the marine renewable energy sector supply chain.
BEEMS website:
http://www.marinerenewableskills-beems.eu
BEEMS Education and Training Network/Réseau de Formation:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/BEEMS-Training-Network-R%C3%A9seau-de-5162446/about