It may be wet and cold on Maine's rocky coastline, where the winds and rain belie the "spring" calendar date, but 16 Aquaculture Pioneers, all of whom will be apprenticing at ocean farms this summer, braved the conditions to attend AP Bootcamp, where they are learning the ropes--literally!-- of their work experience. Instruction in boating safety, knot-tying and other key skills are taught by experienced professionals over two days on the Midcoast.
Educate Maine's Aquaculture Pioneers program -- matching learners with sea-based farms -- launched in 2022 to support growth of Maine’s aquaculture industry and continue to cultivate talent in this important sector. Funding for this exciting program was made possible through the Builders Initiative, through a grant awarded to FocusMaine and Educate Maine. We work with employers across the Downeast, Midcoast, and southern coastal regions to support experiential learning opportunities at farms and hatcheries.
Participants in the Aquaculture Pioneers program can receive internship credit through their high school or higher education institution. Participants will also be enrolled as pre-apprentices to provide them with credit if/when they are interested in pursuing an aquaculture registered apprenticeship in the future.
In 2023 Aquaculture Pioneers was officially recognized as a certified pre-apprenticeship program by the Maine Department of Labor – Maine Apprenticeship Program. This pre-apprenticeship is directly connected to the nation’s only Shellfish and Seaweed Aquaculture Technician registered apprenticeship program sponsored by the Maine Aquaculture Association.
