The Maine Aquaculture Association has released the first Maine Aquaculture Occupational Standards, which specify the current workforce skills and training needs of Maine’s aquaculture sector. Altogether, four standards have been released, focusing on occupations related to (1) Marine Shellfish and Sea Vegetables; (2) Marine Finfish; (3) Land-Based RAS; and (4) Land-Based Shellfish Hatcheries. A supplementary document, the Maine Shellfish Aquaculture Career Pathways Map, is designed to provide an overview of the most common job types, entry points, and career pathway opportunities in Maine’s shellfish aquaculture sector today.
The occupational standards, completed in collaboration with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Educate Maine, and with support from FocusMaine, are intended to present education and training providers with a clear and comprehensive understanding of the specific technical skills and knowledge that are critical for the most common careers in each sector, standardize workforce training in the state, and establish an industry-led process to align training with workforce needs as the industry, and workforce needs, evolve.
Visit Maine Aquaculture Association for links to the guides.