The National Sea Grant College Program funded a collaborative project to build capacity of land based Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the U.S. One of the strongest features of this collaborative effort was the immense national partnerships that were involved, including research, education, extension and industry partners from Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and Northeast regions of the U.S. Along with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (UWSP NADF), other partners included Maryland, Maine and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Institute of Marine and Envoronmenal Technology, The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, USDA National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center, Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Lab, and Morgan State University, among others. Industry partners include Superior Fresh, LLC. (WI), Whole Oceans, LLC. (ME), American Salmon (MD), Kennebec River Biosciences (ME), and Riverence, LLC. (WA).One of the main objectives of this project was to gather stakeholder input which included guidance, concerns, ideas and other input regarding industry needs, thoughts on extension, outreach approaches, workforce development, optimal use of available federal/state funding, and other topics.
One of the major bottlenecks identified by industry was access to a skilled workforce, educated in RAS and salmon culture. The UWSP NADF has been successful in its workforce development program, training students in best management practices, rearing techniques and standard operating procedures for various species at all life stages in various systems including incubation, larval and grow-out systems. Specifically this program included technical demonstration tours and workshops, apprenticeships, internships, college level courses and technology transfer initiatives. The success of this program was shown in nearly 100% job placement for students that have undergone this training program.
Due to this success, the UWSP NADF is looking to advance its workforce development program. Over the past several years, the facility has incorporated several new initiatives to help reach a greater audence and increase technology transfer, which includes virtual presentation tours, educational and technical videos, and increased collaboration with industry partners to better the facility’s apprenticeship program. This presentation will showcase UWSP NADF’s current approaches to increase development of a skilled and educated workforce specific to RAS and salmon, as well as describe future initiatives for advancement and collaboration.