In the state of Connecticut, the aquaculture industry has been growing for the past several decades and has become very diverse. The industry includes cultivation of seaweed, shellfish, and finfish for food consumption, the production of ornamentals, salmonid hatcheries for recreational stock enhancement, as well as mitigation strategies to help combat climate change. To help support this growing industry, workers who have post-secondary training and specialized skill sets are needed. The state of Connecticut’s Vocational Agricultural High School Programs are deeply invested in career and technical education as well as preparing students for competitiveness in post-secondary education. Those students who follow the aquaculture strand have the opportunity to learn hands-on aquaculture education in fully functioning fish production laboratories. Despite Connecticut having these impressive high school programs, there is a lack of post-secondary education pathways in aquaculture offered and in turn students with this training are leaving to seek established pathways in other states.
As part of a CT SeaGrant award, we discuss an aquaculture pathway being developed at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). This includes the state’s first Early College Experience (ECE) courses in aquaculture (Aquaculture I and Aquaculture II) that have been collaboratively developed by The Sound School and SCSU. These classes are currently being taught in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 to senior high school students at The Sound School and to freshman and sophomores at SCSU. Through this initiative, high school students will gain 8 college credits whilst at high school. The goal of this aquaculture pathway is to increase recruitment of highly skilled students from Connecticut’s Vocational Agricultural High School Programs at a CT higher education institution to further prepare the next generation for a diverse, highly skilled aquaculture workforce.