Nearly 190 S3 pupils from Milburn Academy attended the careers day on Tuesday, June 10, learning how salmon is raised and how it helps feed the world from their own doorstep.
This is part of the ongoing careers day programme, which introduces young people to local jobs in a thriving sector while showing how healthy, sustainable food is produced nearby.
There are more than 100 different roles in salmon farming, including freshwater and seawater operations, fish health, environmental regulation, sales and marketing, logistics, finance, IT and human resources.
Around 10,000 jobs across Scotland depend on the salmon sector, with salmon farming companies directly employing 2,500 people.
The event was organised by Salmon Scotland in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce Inverness and Central Highlands, alongside Salmon Scotland members Gael Force, AKVA, STIM, Aquascot and Northeast Nutrition.
The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) also supported the event.
The careers day supported the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence and tied into subjects like engineering, biology, sustainability, health and nutrition.
Pupils took part in hands-on activities including designing and building a mini floating pontoon and salmon pen. They tried out the technology used on salmon farms, learned about the marine environment and sustainability, discovered new developments in fish feed and fish care and found out about the health benefits of farmed Atlantic salmon.
The sector is actively recruiting across the board from school-leavers and graduates to those already working in salmon farming and people switching from industries like oil and gas to meet growing demand for Scottish salmon.
More careers events are planned across salmon farming regions from Argyll and Bute to Shetland to help young people find local job opportunities and positive futures after school.
In 2024, Scottish salmon exports reached a new record of £844 million, with France, the USA and China among the top destinations out of more than 50 countries.
Salmon is also the UK’s most popular fish, with retail sales hitting £1.5 billion, up 5.5 per cent in the 12 months to December 2024.
The careers day reflects the growing focus on Scotland’s blue economy and the importance of building careers linked to healthy seas and sustainable food systems, which is a key priority for the Scottish Government.
Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, said:
“Salmon farming plays a vital role in many remote rural communities here in the Highlands, where local companies offer well paid, highly skilled, year-round jobs which gives people the opportunity to live and work close to where they were born and raised.
“It is encouraging to see the Scottish salmon sector working with education to highlight career opportunities to the next generation of salmon farmers, which will ensure that Scotland’s top food export continues to play a key role in the Highlands economy and grow a healthy, nutritious product for tables at home and abroad.
“I was minister for aquaculture for five years and saw first-hand the good work done to look after fish health and provide highest quality tasty and nutritious salmon.
“It is a great career for many and now provides more jobs in the Highlands than ever before.”
Kerry Sinclair, headteacher at Millburn Academy, said:
“This is a superb opportunity for our pupils to learn about the economic growth of the aquaculture sector happening in some of our more rural and coastal communities of the Highlands.
“The group workshops put on by the partners will not only increase pupils’ knowledge on key topics such as sustainability, technology advancements, nutrition and biology, but also develop their meta skills in communication, teamwork and problem solving. “We are continually striving towards developing transferable skills so that our future workforce is a step ahead and ready for life after school.”
Jody Cataneo, DYW schools coordinator at Millburn Academy, said:
“The morning is all about furthering career awareness and giving young people hands-on experience in roles they may have never even considered.
“We want young people to feel confident in their subject and career choices and that is hard to do without knowing about the range of fascinating roles, not only in aquaculture, but in the local area.
“Giving the pupils the opportunity to be curious, learn from interactive tasks and chat to employers and employees is key to giving pupils the experience and choice to shape their future.”
Jamie Young, group sales director at Gael Force Group, said:
“Gael Force is proud to play a key role in supporting the aquaculture sector with robust and reliable equipment and technology leveraging the knowledge and expertise of our people.
“With our strong engineering background, we see first-hand how vital innovative design, technology, and engineering solutions are in helping farms operate safely and efficiently and we're passionate about inspiring the next generation to play a crucial role in aquaculture's future, from designing and building equipment to developing new technologies.
“We're delighted to support Salmon Scotland and DYW events such as this one to showcase the diverse and dynamic roles available in the sector.”
Andrew Davie, head of aquaculture at Aquascot, said:
“Aquascot has been part of the Scottish salmon sector for 38 years and are proud to call Alness our home. This has only been possible through our connections with and support from our local communities, so we were very happy to meet with the pupils of Millburn Academy at the event.
“Scottish salmon is a convenient, delicious and healthy food source which we are proud to supply to the UK’s premium retailer, Waitrose. Salmon is an excellent source of Omega-3s which are crucial for brain health, so it felt fitting to provide samples for the pupils to taste and fuel their hard work through the day.
“The pupils have shown a great enthusiasm to discuss the importance of animal welfare and the challenges presented to our sector by our changing climate. We hope to see some of the pupils pursue those thoughts and join our sector in the years to come”
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said:
“This is the latest in a series of careers events designed to show young people the range of rewarding careers opportunities of the Scottish salmon farming sector to even more young people.
“Salmon farming contributes hundreds of millions of pounds to the Scottish economy every year and the Scottish government is clear that growing the blue economy is a national priority that will continue to provide jobs for local people and generate wealth for Highland and island communities for many decades to come.”
Hundreds of Inverness pupils are the latest to explore opportunities in salmon farming at a hands-on event highlighting the wide range of roles available.
In 2024, Scottish salmon exports broke a new record of £844 million, with France, the USA and China the top destinations among more than 50 countries.
Salmon is also the UK’s most popular fish, with retail sales reaching £1.5 billion – up 5.5 per cent in the 12 months to December 2024.