Developing a skilled and knowledgeable workforce is essential to sustaining and expanding the U.S aquaculture industry. The Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center (VSAREC) is addressing this need through a variety of education and outreach programs designed to inspire and prepare the next generation of aquaculture professionals. Since the program’s creation in 2024, these initiatives have reached more than 8,000 students across Virginia, significantly expanding awareness of aquaculture as a viable and rewarding career.
The Promoting Careers in Aquaculture 2.0 program connects students and educators to real-world aquaculture through learning modules, field trips, and internships to showcase the diversity of career paths within the industry. Complementing student-focused engagement, the Teach the Teachers program and Secondary Teachers Workshop Week works to equip teachers with the knowledge, curriculum resources, and confidence to integrate aquaculture concepts into their classrooms. Hands-on activities and in-class projects such as an Aquaponics system allow students to immerse themselves in the realm of aquaculture before ever going into the workforce.
Reaching these students at an early age is critical to building long-term interest and understanding of aquaculture. Early exposure helps students connect aquaculture to familiar concepts like food production, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. The goal is to make the field of aquaculture both tangible and exciting. By engaging students during formative educational years, VSAREC helps them envision future roles in the aquaculture workforce and fosters sustained curiosity that can grow into lifelong career aspirations. To reinforce this, VSAREC hosted a STEM Career Day for students from the Virginia’s Governors School for Science and Technology. Showcasing the multitude of STEM-related career opportunities available within the local Hampton Roads region. This event highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of aquaculture and emphasized how skills in biology, engineering, data science, and environmental management all intersect within the seafood and aquaculture industries.
Together, these efforts strengthen the aquaculture workforce pipeline by fostering early interest, practical skills, and industry awareness. Through direct collaboration with producers, researched, and educators, VSREC is creating a scalable model for workforce development that connects classroom learning to career opportunities – ensuring that Virginia, and the nation, are well-positioned to meet the growing demands of the aquaculture industry.