Project abstract: purpose the aquaculture industry in the U.S. Is growing and is critical to provide a source of sustainable seafood to the nations growing population and reduce the trade deficit on…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a cooperative agreement to Cornell University totaling $761,006 on June 1, 2026, under the Sea Grant Support program (CFDA 11.417) to establish an apprenticeship program supporting the U.S. aquaculture workforce.

Cornell's Office of Sponsored Programs will hire five apprentices as temporary Cornell staff members, each compensated for one year with healthcare benefits, to work full-time at five project partner aquaculture facilities in New York: two fish farms, two shellfish hatcheries, and one aquaponic farm. The apprentices will gain hands-on experience in culturing processes, routine maintenance, harvesting, and product processing across operations with varying specializations. These competencies are intended to support employment pathways within the aquaculture sector beyond the apprenticeship term. Throughout the year-long placement period, apprentices and project partners will meet routinely with the New York Sea Grant Aquaculture Specialist for support and progress tracking. All apprentices will complete Seafood Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point training. The program addresses the aquaculture industry's need for skilled workers capable of managing the multi-year production timelines and seasonal operational fluctuations that shorter internship models cannot adequately address.

Performance occurs in Ithaca, New York, with the period of performance running from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2028.

Project abstract: purpose the aquaculture industry in the U.S. Is growing and is critical to provide a source of sustainable seafood to the nations growing population and reduce the trade deficit on imported seafood. Trained individuals are needed to support the growth of this industry, and IT is not a skillset that can be easily obtained in a classroom. This project will create an opportunity for individuals to become successfully trained and work for a year at a commercial aquaculture operation in new york at no financial cost to the operation. IT will increase the volume of skilled individuals that are available to enter the aquaculture industry workforce. Most operations require many different skillsets, fish and/or shellfish often take years before reaching market size, and the activities at operations fluctuate over time and season. This means that shorter-term (e.g. summer) internships often do not provide enough time to train someone in all aspects of an operation. Activities to be performed new york sea grant will hire 5 apprentices as temporary cornell university staff members that will be paid for 1 year with healthcare benefits. Each apprentice shall work full-time at one of the 5 project partner aquaculture facilities (2 fish farms, 2 shellfish hatcheries, 1 aquaponic farm). Each operation will provide slightly different experiences for the apprentices, but they all will gain experience in the culturing process, routine maintenance, harvesting, and processing of products. These skills will be applicable toward future employment at another aquaculture facility if the project partner cannot hire the individual after the apprenticeship is over. The apprentices and project partners will have routine, but separate, meetings with the new york sea grant aquaculture specialist throughout the project to provide a support system and track progress. Each apprentice will participate in a seafood hazard analysis critical control point training. After successful completion of the training, participants will receive training certificates through the association of food and drug officials and seafood haccp alliance. The training cost, typically incurred by the operation, will be fully covered in support of building well rounded aquaculture professionals. The apprentices will also attend an aquaculture-related conference to gain more experience and meet potential future employers. Evaluations conducted at the start, middle, and end of the program from the apprentices and partner operations will be used to assess the programs successes and challenges. Expected outcomes at the end of this apprenticeship, five individuals will gain valuable experience and skills, improving their employment prospects in aquaculture and expanding the pool of qualified candidates for the industry. The data collected from the hiring process (i.e., application quantity, geography, experience, etc.) will be valuable in measuring workforce interest in new york. All this information will assist future workforce development programs within new york and other states. Intended beneficiaries this project will benefit each of the apprentices through the training they will receive, making them suitable for employment within the aquaculture industry. The partner operations will gain an employee at no cost to them, increasing their labor force without impacting their finances. This may allow for additional work or infrastructure modifications that have been on hold, to be made while they have another staff member. New york sea grant and its stakeholders involved in creating long-term workforce development programs will also benefit by learning about the successes and challenges from this program. The information collected from the hiring process will show the volume of interest and demographics of future candidates. Along with the data from the project evaluations, this information will help shape future programs. All these components are ultimately benefitting the…