Successful apprenticeship scheme in aquaculture

The Marine Science and Technology Department of the NAFC Marine Centre has reached a significant milestone by recruiting over 50 new candidates onto their recently revamped Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Aquaculture Level 3 programme. The NAFC Marine Centre is now, by a large margin, the leading national supplier of Aquaculture MA’s to industry.  The current cohort of MA candidates are employed by one of three companies, the Meridian Salmon Group, Hjaltland Seafarms Ltd, and Scottish Seafarms, at marine farm sites across both the Shetland and Orkney production regions. “The successful delivery of vocational training requires a significant investment from both the candidate, their employer and the delivery and assessment team, and I have been very impressed by the commitment shown by our company partners and the candidates alike. For me, it’s extremely satisfying to be involved with the training development of new entrants into the industry, as well as helping older candidates gain formal recognition of their collected knowledge and experience,” says Kenny Gifford, the department’s Aquaculture Vocational Training Manager:. The NAFC’s Senior Development Manager Alan Bourhill added that the 10-fold growth in the demand for the MA in Aquaculture training could be attributed to a number of factors, “including the recent redevelopment of the National Occupational Standards for aquaculture which has brought the training framework right up to date, the incorporation of additional short course provision within the NAFC’s enhanced MA programme, making it a much more attractive product for companies, and the business-like approach of our aquaculture development section team.”