Stornoway careers day highlights job opportunities in aquaculture
More than 170 Western Isles pupils got a hands-on look at careers in Scotland’s salmon sector at the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, in the first event of its kind in the islands.
The aquaculture careers day on Wednesday, 19 August, brought young people face-to-face with local employers and gave them the chance to try activities showcasing the science, technology and skills behind salmon farming.
Organised by trade body Salmon Scotland, in conjunction with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Outer Hebrides, the careers day aimed to highlight the excellent, sustainable opportunities available locally and show young people how skills learned at school can lead to rewarding jobs on their doorstep.
Salmon Scotland members Bakkafrost Scotland and Mowi Scotland took part alongside aquaculture technology supplier ScaleAQ, underwater robotics company MoROV, Underwater Contracting, Fish for Health and Skills Development Scotland.
Mowi Scotland carried out a basic health check on a whole salmon, challenged pupils to guess its weight, and ran a fin quiz, while Underwater Contracting let pupils operate an underwater robot using its mechanical grabber.
MoROV showed how underwater robots are assembled, ScaleAQ challenged pupils to guess the weight of equipment used on salmon farms, and Bakkafrost Scotland focused on sustainability, feed and the environment.
Fish for Health explored the nutritional benefits of salmon and offered tastings, while Salmon Scotland challenged pupils to build their own salmon farm and discussed the range of careers available across the sector.
Jennifer Cairns, headteacher at the Nicolson Institute, said: “This event gave our S3 pupils an opportunity to explore the aquaculture sector, helping them to better understand the skills, roles and pathways available.
“Working alongside DYW Outer Hebrides and Salmon Scotland, we were able to connect learning with career opportunities, raising awareness of the rewarding careers that can be accessed locally.
“We would like to thank all those involved for sharing their knowledge and encouraging pupils to think about the different pathways their future careers could take.”
Salmon Scotland said the industry adds £39 million a year to the economy of the Western Isles and supports around 420 jobs across the islands, including 260 directly on farms and in processing.
Salmon farming jobs pay an average of £44,500, around 16 per cent above Scotland’s typical salary, while salmon exports from the Western Isles were worth more than £1 billion over the past decade.
Salmon farming offers more than 100 roles, from farm operations, fish health and engineering to environmental work, logistics, finance, IT, sales and marketing.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said: “This first careers event in Stornoway was about showing young people the jobs and opportunities that exist on their doorstep…. giving pupils the chance to get hands-on, ask questions and meet people working in the sector helps bring those jobs to life.
“We hope some of the young people who took part will see a future for themselves in salmon farming and become part of the next generation working across the Western Isles.”
Why not try these links to see what our Fish Farmer AI can tell you.
(Please note this is an experimental service)
You May Also Like
© 2026 Fish Farmer.