Future-proofing the NA aquaculture industry need for skilled staff to 2050

The northern Australia aquaculture industry will require between 1400 and 2300 new skilled staff by 2030 to support projected industry growth. The CRCNA’s Northern Australia aquaculture situational analysis identified key challenges, including a shortage of domestically skilled and experienced aquaculture staff, and the need to build capacity in on-farm biosecurity and health management across the region. The report captured producers concerns about the need to build workforce capabilities to meet industry growth, including professional development for current staff, aligning training with industry needs, and promoting career opportunities in aquaculture among regional communities. This project defined the specific skills and education levels required by the industry, mapped existing training and education providers, and proposed improved models for education and training delivery. By evaluating current and future workforce needs and analysing the gap between industry demand and educational output, the project identified career pathway gaps that must be addressed to meet future requirements. These career pathways formed the basis of promotional tools created to highlight education and skills development options for secondary students interested in entering the aquaculture industry. Cost-effective training delivery models were a key for outcome of the project, and a pilot project to upskill existing industry employees in biosecurity will be used to develop and streamline new training delivery models.

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