The Sea2Me programme gave 37 secondary pupils from Plockton High School the chance to see first-hand how salmon is raised, processed and exported globally – all from their doorstep.
Running from April 28 to May 1, the pilot introduced pupils to a range of roles across the sector through a site visit to Mowi’s seawater farm on Loch Duich with interactive sessions about feeding and microbiology.
During the week there was a new product development task led by Mowi’s NPD team.
The pupils also enjoyed a tour of the impressive facilities at Kishorn Port and dry dock that supports aquaculture, decommissioning, oil & gas and offshore wind.
The experience culminated with two challenges. A MasterChef-meets-Dragon’s-Den-style product challenge, where pupils created their own salmon dish, packaging concept and marketing campaign.
Lantra Scotland delivered a fast-paced employability and meta skills challenge where the pupil teams produced a 60-second recruitment reel for a variety of roles within the sector.
The winning team of the Mowi new product development challenge and the Lantra Scotland recruitment reel was team ‘Kebabulous’ with their ‘Salmon Kebabulous’ recipe.
A special award for teamwork in the recruitment reel task was presented to ‘River Fresh’ team, and a special award for creativity in that task went to ‘The Salmonators’.
Sea2Me is a coastal version of the successful Hill-to-Grill initiative, designed by Developing the Young Workforce West Highland in partnership with Salmon Scotland and salmon farming company Mowi.
The programme was also supported by Kishorn Port Ltd and the sector skills council Lantra Scotland.
The week gave pupils the opportunity to step out of the classroom and experience the world of work, gaining insight into local employers and the variety of roles within the salmon farming sector and wider blue economy.
Pupils were surprised by how large the salmon pens are and how much room the fish have to move around, the number of and the process of farm-rearing Scottish salmon, as well as the scale and size of the dry dock at Kishorn Port.
The pupils ranked visiting the salmon farm as the highlight of the week with the Mowi new product development challenge and the visit to Kishorn Port joint second.
The pilot is intended to inspire interest in future careers and encourage more young people to become part of Scotland’s salmon farming success story.
Further Sea2Me events are being planned across five areas of the west coast where salmon farming and the blue economy plays a key role in local communities.
Kate Forbes, MSP for MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said:
“Skills in the Highlands is of critical importance.
“We’ve got great industries and lots of potential for growth, but we need to invest in the next generation.
“I am delighted to see this event taking place, and I wish everybody well.
“I hope that school pupils are inspired by the opportunities to work locally."
Salmon farming employs around 2,500 people across more than 100 different roles, with a further 10,000 jobs directly dependent on the sector.
In Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, it contributes £119 million to the local economy, directly employing 440 people and supporting a further 410 local businesses.
The average salary is £36,000, which is above the Scottish national average. The sector is recruiting at all levels, from school leavers to PhDs, with vacancies in roles such as hatchery technicians, skippers, logistics staff, farming assistants, engineers, veterinarians, environmental managers and fish health experts.
Elfine George, principal teacher of guidance at Plockton high school, said:
“I think the young people have really embraced all the opportunities that have been given to them this week, really risen to the challenge, shown some fabulous teamwork and problem-solving skills and really responded well to all the tasks that that they were offered.
“They'll be able to see themselves in these roles, see their future self and plan directly for that, and I think that's really powerful.”
Jennifer Grant, programme manager at DYW West Highland, said:
“Sea2Me is our opportunity to highlight the opportunities here in the growing Blue Economy.
“The experiential nature of the Sea2Me programme opens the door on local industry and helps young people see what happens at these workplaces and the variety of roles on offer.
“I am grateful to all the employers and partners who made this pilot possible and am really looking forward now to offering this programme across the West Highland area.
“There were many highlights throughout the week, but I enjoyed the surprise from one young person who was trying salmon for the first time and liked it.”
