ONLINE TRAINING FOR ENTRY-LEVEL AQUACULTURE WORKERS: TAKING A SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON MODEL IN RHODE ISLAND AND GOING DIGITAL

Rhode Island (like much of the East Coast) has been enjoying geometric growth in shellfish farming.  Aquaculture business owners struggle to find and retain skilled, entry-level workers seeking long-term career paths in the industry.  New hires typically wash out after a few days on the job and the injury rates among new employees are unacceptably high.

To respond to training needs, the Aquaculture Training Partnership was created in 2015 with financial assistance from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.  The partnership offers a training curriculum based upon industry-identified employment needs, targeting entry-level workers.  The program fosters linkages amongst the government, private sector, academic and community interests working to expand aquaculture employment opportunities in the 21st century.

The classroom content includes soft-skills, basic boating skills, boating safety, shellfish biology, dealer-shipper skills, ServSafe Kitchen Manager certification, Captain's OUPV 6 Pack class & license and critical hands-on learning through a two-week internship program. The program also is a Nationally Registered Apprenticeship program with Veterans Affairs Approval, enhancing the reach and services. The Partnership started with five employer industry partners in 2015 and has grown to 46 industry partners and 30 strategic partners. In the spring of 2017, the Partnership had an 80% job placement rate, with numerous former training participants in management positions on Rhode Island farms.

While successful by all measures, the in-person training program is expensive, time-intensive (on participants and trainers), and future funds are uncertain. In response and through a grant from NOAA's National Sea Grant program in 2018, the project team is designing a comprehensive online training program that will be shared across the country and available for free to interested workers. The team plans to offer trainings for Sea Grant programs and others in states interested in using/adapting the Rhode Island online program in their state. The platform will be through Teachables.com and feature the current training topics, in addition to emerging topics of import like farm safety, new products, and eco-tours.