This week Maine legislators heard important testimony from EM's Workforce Development Specialist Meg Krieger, who spoke in favor of LD1023, a bill to support workforce development such as the Aquaculture Pioneers program. Krieger told the lawmakers that this valuable annual program has more than three times as many applicants this summer than it has slots to fill--a sure sign of the program's value and popularity.
Through this program, we provide participants with on-the-job training at farms across the coast, while also introducing them to leaders in Maine’s vibrant aquaculture industry, many of whom are part of the Blue Economy Task Force.
This year marks the fourth year for AP, which has been certified as a Pre-apprenticeship and is now directly connected to the Maine Aquaculture Association and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s competitive Aquaculture Technician Apprenticeship program.
A joint venture launched in 2023 by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the Maine Aquaculture Association, and Educate Maine, the program was developed after a study found about 884 people working in the field [in Maine] as of 2022, with potential growth for up to 1,450 jobs by 2030, but only if aquaculture businesses can find the kinds of workers they need.
