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Building‑trades official: offshore wind has created local jobs and apprenticeships
Summary
David Langless of Ironworkers Local 37 described manufacturing and port work for regional offshore projects and said local apprenticeship programs can retrain legacy workers, while noting some preference for large, long‑running projects such as nuclear.
David Langless, business manager for Ironworkers Local 37 and vice president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades, told the panel that the building trades have longstanding experience in renewables and that recent offshore projects have created manufacturing and port work in the region.
"The two of these projects alone have created over 200 jobs for local men, women and apprentices," Langless said of regional projects including Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind, and he described an advanced offshore manufacturing facility built in Providence that produced components for monopiles and foundations. Langless emphasized local hiring and registered‑apprenticeship training as ways to keep economic benefits in the region.
Langless also said he personally supports large infrastructure projects (he mentioned that, in principle, he favors nuclear power for the long-term, high‑hour work it would create) but that offshore wind is a viable renewable alternative that already supports local trades and manufacturing.
