A group of Scottish Highland secondary pupils will get a first-hand look at the variety of opportunities that the salmon farming sector offers thanks to part of a programme designed to show them first-hand how salmon is raised.
Following a programme designed as a coastal version of Hill-to-Grill, around 45 students from Plockton High School will learn about the salmon lifecycle and the freshwater phase of farming, as well as visit seawater farms on Loch Duich and at Ardintoul. The Sea2Me programme will offer them a behind-the-scenes look at the full supply chain, from egg to plate, while highlighting the wide range of roles in the sector, including farm technicians, fish health experts and environmental managers.
The week will culminate in a ‘Masterchef’ meets ‘Dragons Den’-style challenge, where pupils will create their own salmon-based dish with marketing plan lead by Mowi Consumer Products New Product Development team who are based in Rosyth, home to one of the largest salmon processing plants in the UK.
Taking place at the end of April 2025, Sea2Me was developed by Developing the Young Workforce West Highland, in collaboration with trade body Salmon Scotland and global salmon farming leader Mowi. The programme delivery is also supported Kishorn Port Ltd, and Lantra Scotland.
A key aim of the programme and the organisers is to take young minds out of the classroom over a number of days and lead them through the businesses and operations available locally – to illustrate the variety of roles which are available now and will be available in the future.
“The Sea2Me programme aims to showcase diverse career opportunities within the West Highlands’ environment to students and their influencers,” DYW West Highland Programme Manager Jennifer Grant said. “Inspired by DYW West Highland’s Hill-to-Grill, Sea2Me offers experiential learning outside the classroom. Students will engage with professionals across rural sector companies, gaining practical insights and context for their learning. They will collaborate to deliver a final presentation, including marketing branding and a dish based on a brief.”
Grant continued: “Throughout the programme, students will explore roles in fish farming, logistics, and product development, witnessing the scale of local businesses and enhancing their meta-skills. This illustrates the many roles involved in bringing quality nutrition from sea to table.
“Ultimately, working with our partners and businesses locally, we seek to inspire young people about the wide range of opportunities within our coastal communities, encouraging them to pursue future careers locally, in Scotland, or beyond.”
Mowi has a large presence on Skye and the surrounding areas and was delighted to be asked to be part of the new project, Mowi Scotland HR Manager Sarah Ralston said.
“Sea2Me not only gives the students a better understanding of what career opportunities there are locally,” she said.
Scotland’s salmon farming sector employs around 2,500 people across more than 100 different roles, with a further 10,000 jobs directly dependent on the sector.
In Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, it contributes GBP 119 million to the local economy, directly employing 440 people and supporting a further 410 local businesses.
The average salary is GBP 36,000, which is above the Scottish national average. The sector is recruiting at all levels, from school leavers to PhDs, with vacancies in roles such as hatchery technicians, skippers, logistics, farming assistants, engineers, veterinarians, environmental managers and fish health experts.
In 2024 Scottish salmon exports broke a new record of GBP 844 million, with France, the US and China the top destinations from more than 50 countries.
“The farm-raised Scottish salmon sector is responsible for creating thousands of high-paid, skilled local jobs in the Highlands and islands and right across the country. Sea2Me will help identify salmon farmers of the future to explore career opportunities right here on their doorstep,” Salmon Scotland Chief Executive Tavish Scott said.
“Salmon farming companies are the beating heart of Scotland’s coastal communities. In many places the salmon farm at the end of the road keeps shops and schools open and helps to support the wider community. There are dozens of different roles in salmon farming and we constantly need young people to join us to help us to meet growing demand for our world-leading product.”
