An exciting new “soup-to-nuts” online training program will allow entry-level farm workers to gain the skills and knowledge they need to be successful farm hands. The online program is tailored to Rhode Island but includes broad information that can be used across the region.
The course provides visually appealing info-rich video modules, with contributions from knowledgeable and seasoned instructors within the aquaculture industry. Modules include instruction on knot-tying, boating safety, basic shellfish biology, distribution and food safety, marketing, shucking, safe-lifting practices and much more. “Much of the training is devoted to teaching folks how to avoid the many ways you can injure yourself on the water,” course instructor Bob Rheault explains in East Coast Shellfish Growers Association Article (pg 13: https://ecsga.org/wp…/uploads/2022/06/ECSGA_NL_v2-22c.pdf).
To access the training modules, visit: https://the-education-exchange1.teachable.com/p/entry-level-oyster-farm-worker then click on “Enroll in Course” and look for The Aquaculture Jobs Training Program. The modules are free and the training is self-guided, with intermittent quizzes and a Certificate of Completion available to those who finish all the modules.
The program was funded by the National Sea Grant College Program and was created through a strong partnership between The Education Exchange, lead educator Robert Rheault from the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, Rhode Island’s Ocean State Aquaculture Association, the URI Coastal Resources Center/ Rhode Island Sea Grant at the University of Rhode Island, and Shedlight Productions.
