Not-for-profit training standards company OPITO has launched its first training standards for the offshore wind industry.

Before now, OPITO operated for over 40 years solely within the oil and gas sector. It has created these standards as part of a ‘strategic shift’ in its scope. The company was founded for the UK offshore industry but works with training providers worldwide.

An OPITO spokesperson described the new standards as focusing on ‘critical skills’ for those entering the industry. The standards cover safety and emergency response training for offshore access vessels and the sites themselves.

These come in limited and full standards, with the full standard covering working at height, firefighting, emergency first aid, sea survival and manual handling. The full standard would require four eight-hour days of training.

These training certificates remain valid for four years, though trainees can renew modules separately as employers require.

The company has also developed two qualifications accredited by the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. The qualifications cover mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as renewable energy foundation training.

OPITO CEO John McDonald said: “These new products mark a strategic shift for our organisation and will enable us to apply our vast experience to the renewable energy industry, as the energy mix further diversifies. Recognising the clear synergies that exist across the different parts of the industry, these new products will help to ensure the provision of a multi-disciplined and flexible workforce, now and in the future.”

Recently, OPITO worked on standards to bring Merchant navy crew into the oil and gas industry.

The company worked several training providers to develop the standards. These include Vulcan Training & Consultancy in Poland, FMTC in the Netherlands, and UK companies Maersk Training UK, Humberside Offshore Training, Petrofac, and Petans.