Hundreds of Lochaber pupils sample careers in the Scottish salmon sector

“It was really cool to see all the stands and job options. The food was banging too. Thank you all for the day.”
Angus Riddle, an S3 pupil at Lochaber High School

Fergus Strachan, an S2 pupil at Lochaber High School, said:
“I really enjoyed the event, I liked the fish dissection, the engineering stalls, the lorry outside, but the best bit was definitely eating at the salmon wagon.”

“Fish for Health delivered oil rich salmon facts to enable choice.

Our former industry roles, NPD and EHO have evolved into our seafood education experiences. It was fun, we enjoyed being part of this successful day…. Cook, Eat, & Enjoy!”

Cat & John Frankitti, Fish for Health

"UHI North, West and Hebrides were delighted to be part of this event.  It was important to us to be able to highlight the training that’s available right here in Lochaber and throughout the highlands in a hugely important economic and employment sector.   Our courses in Marine, Maritime and Aquaculture are available starting from High School right through to full time study and including Modern Apprenticeships too. 

But we probably enjoyed the strength test mini challenge best of all – and some of the girls in Lochaber High School are amazingly strong – watch out chaps!"

Cheryl MacRae, UHI North, West and Hebrides

“It was great to see so many students interested in seaweed and the future careers available in the seaweed sector. One of the students mentioned that she knew about careers in marine biology, when I asked her how she knew she said “I saw it in a TikTok”, at least the aquaculture career outreach is spreading beyond these events!”
Rhianna Rees, SSIA

“The Aquaculture Day in collaboration with Salmon Scotland and DYW at Lochaber High School was a great success. The purpose of the event was to immerse the pupils in interactive activities showcasing the variety of careers available in the industry whilst linking back to the school’s Skills Framework and showing how these skills are applied on a daily basis in the workplace. We would think to thank Lochaber High School for hosting the event and hope that it is the first of many!"

Carly Ferguson, Ferguson Transport & Shipping

"It was a fantastic interactive day. The kids loved our stall and were amazed with everything Aquaculture has to offer" 
Irene Pozo, Scottish Sea Farms Ltd

Scott Steele, headteacher at Lochaber High School, said:
“The aquaculture event was a fun, fast-paced day filled with valuable insights into this growing sector, which has a significant economic role to play in the Highland region, offering a diverse range of career opportunities.  With more job openings than potential candidates, the sector provides excellent prospects for promotion and competitive salaries.  It’s an exciting industry that not only supports our local economy but also helps retain young talent in the area, ensuring a worthwhile future for our community.  Our pupils were definitely excited about their prospects.”

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said:
“The farm-raised Scottish salmon sector is the engine of the Highlands and islands economy offering well-paid, year-round jobs to complement other, more seasonal, sectors.  The careers day at Lochaber High School offered a smorgasbord of careers available in the Scottish salmon sector locally, and aligns to the school’s skills for learning strategy.  We are grateful to the headteacher and staff Lochaber High School for hosting and all the young people who took part.  We hope we have given the pupils food for thought about a career in Salmon farming and hope to welcome some of these young people into our companies in the future.”
 
Sarah Ralston, HR manager at Mowi Scotland, added:
“The aquaculture day in collaboration with Salmon Scotland and DYW at Lochaber High School was a great success.  The purpose of the event was to immerse the pupils in interactive activities showcasing the variety of careers available in the industry whilst linking back to the school’s Skills Framework and showing how these skills are applied on a daily basis in the workplace.  We would think to thank Lochaber High School for hosting the event and hope that it is the first of many.”

Jennifer Grant, programme manager at DYW West Highland, said:
“The event was a great success. We were happy to hear positive feedback from pupils, teachers, and exhibiting companies throughout the event.  Most popular with the audience that day was the pace of the speed networking; it was a fantastic way to illustrate the variety of roles and career pathways available in aquaculture and the supply chain industries.  With the employers in that room, young people were able to ask questions about over 100 different jobs and roles from the 15 companies that were with us that day.  At DYW West Highland, we were keen that that day was not a one-off event or the end of the story. The blue economy was a significant part of the business landscape here, so it was important that we continued to highlight these opportunities and employers to the young people in our communities.”

Companies supporting the event included:

• Salmon Scotland

• Developing the Young Workforce West Highland

• Mowi Scotland

• Scottish Sea Farms

• Bakkafrost Scotland

• Gael Force

• AKVA

• Ferguson Transport

• Biomar

• Solvtrans

• UHI

• Lantra

• Young Aquaculture Society

• Fish for Health

• Scottish Seaweed Industry Association

• SAMS

   

For more information on current vacancies in aquaculture, visit www.salmonscotland.co.uk/or hijobs.net

Young people looking to connect with aquaculture employers should get in touch with Developing the Young Workforce West Highland:
Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, Waterfront Lodge, Marine Walk, Fort William, PH33 6FF
Call: 01397 705765  | Email: info@dywwesthighland.org