Aquaculture 2025

March 6 - 10, 2025

New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Add To Calendar 09/03/2025 08:45:0009/03/2025 09:05:00America/ChicagoAquaculture 2025IMPROVING ACCESS TO AQUACULTURE CAREERS FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPSGalerie 5The World Aquaculture Societyjohnc@was.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYanrl65yqlzh3g1q0dme13067

IMPROVING ACCESS TO AQUACULTURE CAREERS FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS

Steven G. Hughes

Aquaculture Research and Education Laboratory

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

1837 University Circle

Cheyney, Pennsylvania  19319 USA

 



Great deal of effort has been put forward in trying to increase the diversity of the aquaculture workforce, gains have been relatively slow. The primary attempts up to now have involved making additional positions available and/or directing hiring practices to try to influence this change. These methods have met with some success, but generally not the degree of success that was desired. This talk will focus on the fact that several areas have been ignored when trying to increase the recruiting outreach for under-represented groups. Among these areas that have been ignored are included cultural parameters including food, housing and religion) , mobility parameters, and the general concept of how to make new personnel feel welcome in an environment that is new to them. Examples will be given to exemplify how the lack of attention to these areas directly blocks the success of recruiting efforts designed to bring in groups that have not traditionally been involved in aquaculture. The presentation will also how directed verbiage in job postings and an emphasis on career upward mobility can also help to move the diversity needle forward.