Recruitment and diversity

Industry and academia 

One question, however, is whether there needs to be more opportunities to study aquaculture-specific qualifications, or do apprenticeships provide a better, practical way into the industry? One of the webinar attendees also asked whether those taking masters degrees in aquaculture in the UK are usually able to find a job in the industry.

Speaking about her time with SAIC, Jillian Couto-Phoenix said the organisation had developed a network to liaise with universities and its soft skills training helps students to meet early-career professionals in the sector and understand the roles to which their qualification could lead. SAIC has also been working with industry and the education sector, to help ensure that degree courses are relevant to the world of work where that is appropriate.

She said: “There is not a direct connection between higher education and the industry at this moment in time. The world of work is changing very quickly and there are always new roles and new functions.”

Liz Barron-Majerik noted that the profile for people going into aquaculture is different from land-based agriculture. In aquaculture there are a greater proportion of career changers, and a lot of people become interested in fish farming later in life or when they return to the area having been away to work or study. The funding model for education, however, is generally set up with a focus on younger people going straight from school to university or further education. She noted: “For aquaculture, apprenticeships have been giving a great return on investment.”

This, however, is not a solution for everyone, she warned. Most educational institutions are generally located quite far from the areas where fish farming companies have their operations. Also, for individuals still not entirely sure about which direction they want their career to go, an apprenticeship is seen by some as a bigger commitment to one career path than a college course might be, which can often be changed part way through, or used to apply for a wider variety of jobs. One of the obstacles to recruitment can be negative comment, in the media or by word of mouth, about the aquaculture industry. This is especially a problem because not many people get to experience the reality of day-to-day life in the sector.

Liz Barron-Majerik said that the extent to which negative press might influence potential recruits to the industry partly depends on their motivation. In agriculture and aquaculture, some individuals are motivated by technical aspects of the job – such as driving a tractor or a boat – and some because they want to work with animals. The latter group, she said, are probably more likely to be put off by negative comments about aquaculture. She added, however, that spreading the word about the positive aspects of aquaculture will help to win back those who are passionate about working with animals and the marine environment.

She said: “It is a challenge… but I think we have a really good counter-message.” Jillian Couto-Phoenix said that, with food security a major issue in terms of planning for the future, we have to talk about the need to build sustainable food systems. And Jeni Adamson commented: “A lot of it is just misunderstanding.” She added that communication with the parents of school pupils is also crucial.

A changing industry

Technology and new practices are changing aquaculture – how does this affect the skills required and the attractiveness of the industry? For Liz Barron-Majerik, the increased amount of data being used in the industry is a key factor, with more monitoring devices and more remote management of farm sites. She said: “Understanding data, being confident with data is becoming ever more important.”

Jillian Couto-Phoenix agreed that “data skills are essential”. She noted that the fish farming operators are hiring more data analysts – and they are training biologists to use data and training engineers in biological systems. For Seafood Scotland, Jeni Adamson said: “Processing involves more technology too, now – and it’s a more pleasant environment to work in when there is more automation.”

A final question from the audience concerned whether employing people from overseas for remote roles might help recruitment. The panel felt that this was still not an option for most jobs in the industry, however, and it could also be a two-edged sword if people with aquaculture skills in Scotland might be tempted to work remotely for overseas companies.

 
Drawing conclusions 

Wrapping up, it is clear first of all that there is a challenge in recruiting in what is, in numbers terms, a limited pool. A key route for the industry is to get the message across to schools, and we are already seeing some very exciting projects around that. There is also a need to strengthen still further communications and engagement between educational institutions and industry, to ensure they are in alignment – recognising all the while that supporting industry is not the sole priority of the education sector.

The panel were in agreement that diversity is a positive thing in its own right. Even more importantly, it is about making organisations a better place to work. An effective approach to diversity can help employers to attract and retain the people they need.

Finally, it is clear that technology is changing the aquaculture and the seafood industry generally. This is changing the skills required and the nature of the work, which is also something that employers in the sector need to explain.

To see the webinar in full, go online to youtu.be/I3xY_ZM81MM