State Grant Expands Offshore Wind Safety Training
Students at Massachusetts Maritime Academy gain access to new helicopter underwater escape training funded by the state.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Financial Aid
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Should Massachusetts keep spending public money on offshore wind job training?
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center awarded a $260,000 state grant to Massachusetts Maritime Academy to expand offshore wind safety training. The award is part of $4.2 million in state funding for 20 projects announced by Gov. Maura Healey and MassCEC.
Why it matters
The grant pays for equipment, certifications, and instructional capacity for Helicopter Underwater Escape Training, a skill tied to safe work around offshore wind operations. It signals that the state is funding training pathways for students who may enter the offshore wind workforce.
The state awarded $260,000 to the academy from a $4.2 million package covering 20 projects. Of that package, $1.7 million flows through the Offshore Wind Works program and $2.4 million through the Offshore Wind, Science, Research and Analysis program.
The players
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
A fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university located on Cape Cod at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
The state agency that administers the grant and the Offshore Wind Works and Offshore Wind, Science, Research and Analysis programs.
Gov. Maura Healey
The Massachusetts governor who announced the $4.2 million in state funding for 20 projects.
RelyOn USA
The training partner that will offer Helicopter Underwater Escape Training with the academy.
The details
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center administers the grant, which Massachusetts Maritime Academy will use to build out Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. The training will be offered at the academy in partnership with RelyOn USA, and the funds cover equipment, certifications, and the capacity to teach the course. Students in the academy's programs who pursue offshore wind work would gain access to this safety training as part of their education.
Timeline
The grant award was announced on November 5, 2026.
Education Landscape
The award extends the Offshore Wind Works program from industry projects into the academic pipeline that trains the workforce. It places a state-funded training credential alongside the broader public investment in clean-energy careers Massachusetts has made in recent years.
If you are considering a maritime or offshore wind career path, ask the academy's admissions or financial-aid office whether the new Helicopter Underwater Escape Training is available to your program and how it is funded for students. Check with the school about any costs or certifications that apply to your program before you enroll.
The takeaway
State dollars are increasingly tied to specific workforce credentials, so students interested in offshore wind should watch for programs like this one. Ask your school's financial-aid office which state-funded training and certifications are available in your program.
Further reading
For more on how states fund college programs like this, explore Financial Aid.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WickedLocal.
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Should Massachusetts keep spending public money on offshore wind job training?
