Celebrating Aquaculture Apprenticeships
NAFC Marine Centre UHI staff attended an event at the Scottish Parliament earlier this week to celebrate modern apprenticeships in aquaculture.
Stuart Fitzsimmons (Section Leader – Aquaculture Training) and Andy Glen (Vice Principal – Teaching and Learning) were invited to the Scottish Parliamentary reception, organised by Lantra to highlight the benefits to Scotland’s aquaculture industry of a new Modern Apprenticeship for aquaculture managers. The reception was hosted by Michael Russell MSP as part of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight.
There were keynote speeches from Michael Russell, Anne MacColl (Chair of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation), Lantra award winning students, and Henry Graham (Chair of Lantra). The reception was also attended by other Shetland representatives including Tavish Scott MSP and David Sandison (General Manager, Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and Chair, NAFC Board of Trustees).
As well as launching the new Level 4 Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Aquaculture, initially available only through the NAFC Marine Centre, the event provided the Centre with an opportunity to showcase the current Level 2 and Level 3 MAs in Aquaculture. Of the 52 current MA Aquaculture students in Scotland 35 are registered with NAFC.
Centre staff also took the opportunity to promote the wide range of short courses that NAFC offers to the aquaculture industry, including new on-line e-learning courses. In the last four years more than 1,000 students have completed aquaculture short courses at NAFC.
Stuart Fitzsimmons commented that "Attending this event was extremely useful, allowing us to showcase the wide range of training opportunities that NAFC offers to the Scottish aquaculture industry and to make useful business contacts with the industry. The evening also highlighted the importance of aquaculture to the Scottish economy and to rural communities in terms of employment. NAFC is well placed to continue to train and educate aquaculture industry staff."
Further information on the event is available on the Lantra website, including photographs of the event.
Further information on NAFC's Modern Apprenticeships and other aquaculture courses are available on the Centre's website.
NOTE: The NAFC Marine Centre intends to introduce the Level 4 Modern Apprenticeship in early 2017, subject to approval of the programme by the UHI.