To meet the finfish, shellfish, and seaweed aquaculture industry’s growing demand for well-trained and experienced professionals, the Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program at Bellingham Technical College (BTC) in Bellingham, Washington, has implemented an innovative flipped-classroom and hands-on training model. Lectures are delivered asynchronously online, allowing in-person class time to focus on immersive, real-world skills training in hatchery, field, and laboratory settings, both at BTC’s student-run Whatcom Creek Hatchery and through collaborations with industry partners across the region.
Faculty work closely with employers and co-managers such as the Lummi Nation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and numerous regional aquaculture companies to align instruction with workforce priorities and to provide students with internship and professional training opportunities.
This flexible, industry-focused model supports nontraditional students balancing work and family, increases engagement through authentic experiences, and ensures that graduates leave with marketable technical skills and significant hands-on experience. Program outcomes demonstrate the success of this approach, with over 90% retention and completion rates and 96% of graduates employed within nine months, most within aquaculture or related resource sectors.
By blending flipped instruction, experiential learning, and deep industry collaboration, BTC’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program offers a replicable model for workforce training in the modern aquaculture era, producing graduates who are technically skilled and ready to contribute to the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry.