Following suspension of face-to-face training as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Seafish is extending its support for online training for those working in the UK’s seafood industry.
Thanks to funding from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Trinity House, fishermen who sign up for courses in navigation, engineering and stability awareness on the Seafish Online Training platform will be able to access free online tutor support and assessments from Seafish’s network of approved training providers. Furloughed or recently redundant employees are also eligible for the funding.
Simon Potten, head of safety and training at Seafish, said that businesses were facing unprecedented challenges. “We’re looking to create opportunities for individuals to access training at this difficult time to help maintain the fabric of the seafood industry going forward,” he said.
“This increased support means that fishermen can continue learning vital information that will keep them safe at sea and those working onshore can access funding for essential training in food hygiene and safe working practices,” he added.
Seafish is also subsidising the cost of e-learning for workers in the onshore sectors of the seafood industry, making funding available to support courses in food hygiene and health and safety, with exam by video conference allowing learners to secure recognised qualifications. These courses are also open to fishermen interested in getting into direct selling. Taught courses in bivalve purification and principles of food authenticity can also be delivered remotely by video conferencing.
