Maryland Offshore Wind Workforce Training Program - FY 2021

Capital Expenditures:

Grant funds may be used to offset capital expenditures such as:

1. Creation or expansion of a training center, including relocation costs, new construction of real property, and renovations to existing real property; and/or,
   
   
2. Purchase and installation of new or manufacturer-refurbished training-related equipment at a new or existing real property(s).
   
   

Grant funds may not be used to offset capital expenditures such as:

1. Purchase of new or existing real property; however, the 25 percent of the total project costs provided by the Applicant as matching funds may be used for this purpose; and,
   
   
2. Relocation costs for the Applicant’s employees or personnel, including, but not limited to, housing, travel, and food.

Operating Expenditures:

Grant funds may be used to offset operating expenditures such as:

1. Curriculum development and/or training center certification or licensing of a technical trade skill(s) and safety skills for the offshore wind industry; and/or,
   
   
2. Operational costs to hold the training courses of a technical trade skill(s) and safety skills for the offshore wind industry.
   
   

1. This includes, but is not limited to, training center overhead, instructor salaries and benefits, and training supplies & materials, including personal protection equipment (PPE) for both the training course and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).
   
   
2. Training centers must provide technical and safety training at no cost to all participating students.
   
   
3. Training centers must ensure all of the participating students complete, at a minimum, the United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) 10-Hour safety course for general construction.
   
   
4. Applicants must provide an outreach plan to prospective students from historically underserved communities, including, but not limited to minorities, women, people with disabilities, and veterans of the United States Armed Forces in Maryland.
   
   
5. Applicants must provide an outreach plan to prospective students who are unemployed, under-employed, currently incarcerated, and individuals returning from incarceration (returning citizens).
   
   
6. Grantees will be required to demonstrate efforts to maintain records of professional progress of all participating students once they have completed their training. This includes, but is not limited to, work history, additional certifications obtained, and post training employment for at least one year after graduation from the training center.

Project Priorities:

MEA will prioritize applications that incorporate the following aspects into the proposed project:

1. Curriculum development and training center certification of the Global Wind Organization (GWO) Basic Technical Training (BTT) Standard. This course offering should be incorporated into an existing training center in Maryland that is in the process of or has completed its curriculum development and training center certification of the GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) Standard and the GWO BST Refresher (BSTR) Standard.
   
   
2. Curriculum development and training center certification of the GWO Basic Safety Training Online Partial Refresher (BSTR-P) Standard. This course offering should be incorporated into an existing training center in Maryland that is in the process of or has completed its curriculum development and training center certification of the GWO BST Standard and the GWO BSTR Standard.
   
   
3. Curriculum development and training center certification of the Global Wind Organization (GWO) GWO Slinger Signaller/Rigger Signal Person. This course offering should be incorporated into an existing training center in Maryland that is in the process of or has completed its curriculum development and training center certification of the GWO BST Standard and the GWO BSTR Standard.
   
   
4. Training centers that incorporate best commercially reasonable efforts to provide online/remote learning. This includes, but is not limited to, providing notebook/laptop computers and access to internet and/or cell service to all participating students at no cost to said participating students during the entirety of the training program.
   
   
5. Training centers that provide a monetary stipend for all participating students. This includes, but is not limited to, providing paid educational training, travel stipend, and/or food/grocery stipend to all participating students at no cost to said participating students during the entirety of the training program. MEA will prohibit a training center from trying to recoup a stipend from a participating student that does not complete the training program.
   
   
6. Training centers that provide professional and personal development services to all participating students at no cost to said participating students during the entirety of the training program. Professional and personal development services include, but are not limited to, résumé development, interview preparation, professional etiquette, and personal financial coaching.