Prestigious Award for NAFC Apprentice
9 March 2016 - NAFC Marine Centre apprentice Martin Mladenov received a prestigious CARAS award at the LANTRA Modern Apprenticeship awards last week.
Martin is employed by Scottish Sea Farms Ltd. at their salmon farming sites near Burra Isle. Over the last couple of years he has completed both Level 2 and level 3 of the Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture through the NAFC Marine Centre.
The award, granted by the Council for Awards of Royal Agriculture Societies (CARAS), recognises distinguished achievement in agriculture and related industries (including aquaculture). The awards ceremony, in Dunblane, was organised by Lantra Scotland, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental industries, to recognise the efforts of trainees, Modern Apprentices, students, pupils, teachers, tutors, training providers and schools involved in the rural sectors.
Martin’s trainer at NAFC, Stuart Fitzsimmons, commended his achievement, commenting “Martin has shown outstanding commitment and enthusiasm throughout his Level 2 and Level 3 studies, and thoroughly deserves recognition for his efforts”. Stuart also thanked Scottish Seafarms staff and his site Manager Robbie Coutts for their support for Martin’s on-site training.
Martin’s award follows outstanding feedback for NAFC’s Aquaculture Modern Apprenticeship Programme from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) which commended the Centre’s “robust system of delivery, assessment and internal verification of their work-based awards through a highly qualified and dedicated team."
The Modern Apprenticeship programme (with financial support from Skills Development Scotland) is aimed at aquaculture husbandry staff and helps them to obtain qualifications that are relevant to and recognised by the aquaculture industry in Shetland and Orkney. The programme, which started in 2013, recently passed a significant milestone when the number of students enrolled passed 100.
In response to the high demand for training from the aquaculture industry the NAFC Marine Centre is now delivering new courses in Fish Farm Containment; Fish Health; Biosecurity; and Water Quality Awareness. The Centre also plans to introduce a new Modern Apprenticeship at Level 4 in 2016/17, aimed at senior aquaculture staff and management. All these new courses will complement the existing Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture at Levels 2 and 3.