Aquaculture Day highlights salmon farming careers to Highland pupils

More than 160 Highland secondary pupils had a first-hand look at job opportunities in salmon farming at a major showcase event. Young people from Kinlochbervie and Gairloch joined those at Ullapool High School to meet leading employers, training providers and researchers from across the sector.

The aquaculture careers day, held on Wednesday 10th September, was part of an ongoing programme giving young people a closer look at how Scotland’s salmon farms operate and the variety of roles available.

Salmon farming offers more than 100 roles, from freshwater and seawater operations to fish health, environmental regulation, sales and marketing, logistics, finance, IT and human resources. Around 12,500 people across Scotland depend on the sector, including 565 directly employed in the Highlands, where local farms are at the heart of their communities.

The event was organised by trade body Salmon Scotland in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) West Highland, with Mowi Scotland and Wester Ross Fisheries joining other salmon farming companies. Higher education and research organisations also joined, including the University of the Highlands and Islands, the Roslin Institute and Fish For Health.