As of March 2024, over 700 young people were working on Scottish fish farms. Scotland Salmon wants them to be more to ensure the future of the industry.
Photo: Salmon Scotland.
More than 650 students will take part in Careers Day at Lochaber High School on Wednesday 2 October 2024. There, they will all have the opportunity to learn more about the wide range of local jobs in the Scottish salmon industry. By participating in the event, Salmon Scotland aims to ensure that the sector can develop the next generation of aquaculture talent.
"The farm-raised Scottish salmon sector is responsible for creating thousands of high-paid, skilled local jobs in the Highlands and islands and right across the country," said Tavish Scott, CEO of Salmon Scotland. "We want to help the next generation of young people in our farming regions with their futures and talk to them about rewarding careers in salmon farming."
The Careers Day at Lochaber High School is part of an ongoing series of careers events to raise awareness of employment opportunities within the growing Scottish salmon sector. Organized by Salmon Scotland, Mowi Scotland and Developing the Young Workforce West Highland, local employers such as Bakkafrost Scotland, Scottish Sea Farms, AKVA, and Gael Force will also be among the companies present at the event.
As highlighted by Salmon Scotland, aquaculture, and more specifically salmon farming, contributes GBP 119 million (EUR 142.4 million / USD 159.4 million) to the local economy of Skye, Lochaber, and Badenoch, directly employing over 500 people and supporting over 410 local businesses.
"Our member companies are at the heart of Scotland's coastal communities. In many places, the salmon farm at the end of the road keeps shops and schools open, and helps to support the wider community," Scott continued.
"There are a huge number of different roles in aquaculture and we need young people, especially women, to join us in looking after our world-leading salmon as we feed not only Scotland but the wider world," he concluded.
To achieve this, the event will highlight the wide range of well-paid, highly skilled jobs in the sector, from technicians to farm assistants, from captains to processors, and from fish handling to business support roles such as finance and IT.
As Jayne Mackay, Community Engagement Officer at Mowi Scotland, points out, there are many and varied career opportunities in aquaculture, whatever your interests. The aim of these types of events is precisely to spend time with young people and introduce them to jobs they may never have considered.
"As one of the largest employers in Lochaber, it is important that young people understand that they can stay in the area and have a long-term future career, which could also take them all over the world, given the scale of Mowi as the world's largest aquaculture company," Jayne Mackay added.
On October 2, pupils from Lochaber High School, Kilchuimen Academy, Mallaig High School, Ardnamurchan High School and Kinlochleven High School will have the opportunity to discover all these possibilities first hand.
The event at Lochaber will allow them to meet people working in aquaculture, learn more about farmed salmon, and discover the career options open to them.
In addition to these face-to-face meetings with professionals from the aquaculture industry in Scotland, pupils can, for example, virtually visit a salmon farm through VR goggles, or participate in an interactive game called 'I am MOWI', which takes the students through their interests and concludes with a suggested career path in aquaculture.
No solo eso, the popular Mowi Scotland salmon wagon will also be in attendance and participants will be able to sample its signature Scottish salmon fillet in a bun, or Scottish salmon noodle salad.
Besides the above-mentioned companies, other businesses and associations taking part in the event will be Ferguson Transport, Biomar, Solvtrans, UHI, Lantra, SAMS, Fish for Health, the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association, and the recently launched Young Aquaculture Society.
"The commitment and enthusiasm from industry has been inspiring, and the delivery of the event is creating a buzz and understanding around the potential for future careers in the blue economy for pupils from five high schools locally," highlighted Jennifer Grant, Programme Manager at DYW West Highland.
Moreover to participate in this Careers Day at Lochaber High School, Salmon Scotland's member companies will be attending other career fairs and organising sector-specific school visits. All to seek the next generation of aquaculture talent that will develop the Scottish aquaculture industry to come.
