Aquaculture Day immerses pupils in the Scottish salmon sector
The Mowi team was pleased to attend Lochaber’s first Aquaculture Day on 2nd October.
Taking place at Lochaber High School, the event was organised by Salmon Scotland, Developing the Young Workforce West Highland and Mowi Scotland. Salmon farmers and industry suppliers were among those showcasing careers in their companies to hundreds of pupils from Lochaber High School, Kilchuimen Academy, Mallaig High School, Ardnamurchan High School and Kinlochleven High School.
The Mowi Salmon Wagon made its final stop of the year at the event, serving up salmon fillet burgers and salmon noodle salads for pupils, raising £900 for Lochaber High School. Pupils were given an opportunity to take part in a hands-on fish health check and identification of organs by Mowi veterinarian Mairin and also take part in our interactive game ‘I am Mowi’, which takes students through their interests to suggest a career path in aquaculture.
Thank you to head teacher Scott Steele for hosting at Lochaber High School. Commenting on the event, he said: “The aquaculture event was a fun, fast-paced day filled with valuable insights into this growing sector, which has a significant economic role to play in the Highland region, offering a diverse range of career opportunities. With more job openings than potential candidates, the sector provides excellent prospects for promotion and competitive salaries. It’s an exciting industry that not only supports our local economy but also helps retain young talent in the area, ensuring a worthwhile future for our community. Our pupils were definitely excited about their prospects.”
And the pupils enjoyed the event too!
Angus Riddle, an S3 pupil at Lochaber High School, said: “It was really cool to see all the stands and job options. The food was banging too. Thank you all for the day.”
Fergus Strachan, an S2 pupil at Lochaber High School, commented: “I really enjoyed the event, I liked the fish dissection, the engineering stalls, the lorry outside, but the best bit was definitely eating at the Salmon Wagon.”
Sarah Ralston, HR manager at Mowi Scotland, added: “The aquaculture day in collaboration with Salmon Scotland and DYW at Lochaber High School was a great success. The purpose of the event was to immerse the pupils in interactive activities showcasing the variety of careers available in the industry whilst linking back to the school’s Skills Framework and showing how these skills are applied on a daily basis in the workplace. We would like to thank Lochaber High School for hosting the event and hope that it is the first of many.”
