Bank Millennium became the strategic partner of the 1st Education Career Fair EDU OFFSHORE WIND 2023. The idea of the event is to show secondary school students innovative directions of career development. The fair is organised in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, which is the leader of the 2022 Millennium Eco-index ranking.

At Bank Millennium, we are aware of the need to take pro-environmental actions, which is why we actively engage in initiatives for sustainable development and low-emission economy. An important element of our activities is to support environmental education. Offshore wind power is a strategic direction of energy transformation, which will strengthen the energy security of Poland and will be a significant impulse for the economic development of our country. In Poland, this sector is just developing, which is why educating young people in this area is one of the key conditions for the stable development and success of offshore wind power – said Magdalena Trzynadlowska, Director of the Sustainability Office at Bank Millennium.

The EDU OFFSHORE WIND Career Fair is the first such event in Poland. It is devoted to education in the area of offshore wind power development in Poland. Over five thousand secondary school students from the Pomeranian Voivodeship, facing the choice of a career path, can meet with representatives of leading companies in the offshore wind power sector. This inspirational space enables direct contact and discussions with future employees and employers of the offshore sector.

The fair is the culmination of an educational programme related to wind power and prepared for secondary schools from the Pomeranian Voivodeship, which began in November last year. During the Fair, in addition to meetings with experts, visitors will find two stages, thematic islands, shows, panels and debates. The organisers have also planned many interactive attractions for students. The fair takes place on 14-15 March 2023 in Gdańsk.

We believe that economic development must be linked to decisive action to protect the environment and natural resources. That is why we have developed the Eco-Millennium Index, in which we look at the commitment of Polish regions to green transition. The undisputed leader of this ranking is the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Thus we particularly appreciate the educational initiative, which is the Edu Offshore Wind Fair, because it indicates the orientation of the authorities and residents of the Pomeranian Voivodeship at the development of zero-emission renewable energy technologies and the education of young people who will enter the labour market in a few years. This is a very important element of building environmental awareness, which is an important factor supporting eco-innovation – said Grzegorz Maliszewski, chief economist at Bank Millennium and author and originator of the Millennium Eco-index.

The Pomeranian Voivodeship is the leader of the 2022 Millennium Eco-index. In the case of as many as 15 out of 17 variables that make up the Millennium Eco-index, Pomerania is above the national level. The Pomeranian Voivodeship is at the forefront of i.a. variables reflecting the ecological awareness of residents, which undoubtedly favours the development of eco-innovation.

During the Fair, Grzegorz Maliszewski, chief economist at Bank Millennium and author and originator of the Millennium Eco-Index, will present the index and the results of the ranking, which can serve as an inspiration for the directions of development of green innovations. He will also take part in the debate entitled "Initiatives of Polish entities in creating, supporting and creating local added value in OWP projects". A full overview of the regions' eco-innovation is available here.

The EDU OFFSHORE WIND 2023 Educational Career Fair has been prepared for young people whom we want to infect with passion for green energy. We need wise, educated staff who will join the ranks of not only direct investments that will be implemented in Poland in the coming years, but will also support their implementation at the level of government offices, universities and various types of institutions. The demand for new, but already qualified employees in the near future is estimated at over ten thousand, and in the long run up to 60,000 people. Therefore, in order to ensure a stable development of offshore wind power, we must already think about the generation that is still studying in primary and secondary schools – said Karolina Lipińska, Deputy Director for Enterprise Development and Innovation at the Marshal's Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

The 1st Education Career Fair EDU OFFSHORE WIND is organised by representatives of the Pomeranian Platform for the Development of Offshore Wind Power in the Baltic Sea together with Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie S.A. The main partners of the event are: the Local Government of the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the city of Gdańsk. Bank Millennium is one of the strategic partners of the event. The fair was held under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Energy Regulatory Office, as well as the Polish Space Agency.