Registration is now open for an annual leadership program put on by Alaska Sea Grant to bolster the state’s seafood industry.
The Alaska Seafood Processing Leadership Institute is an 80-hour professional development course geared mid-level managers and professionals in the industry who aspire for higher level positions.
The Institute is broken down to two one-week sessions. The first will be held 13 to 17 November in Kodiak. There, participants will learn about such topics as quality control, lean manufacturing and value-added seafood processing. They also will connect with their mentors and begin a five-month individual project.
From 5 to 9 March, the group will gather in Anchorage to delve more into the administration part of the business. Topics for that session include leadership training, human resource development, business management and marketing.
The seafood industry is a major contributor to the Alaskan economy. In 2014, nearly 60,000 workers were employed in fishing, with more than 25,000 of those jobs coming from seafood processing. In all, the industry has an economic impact of nearly USD 6 billion, according to research from McDowell Group.
Since Alaska Sea Grant started the Institute in 2006 about 70 professionals have participated. Alumni from the Institute now work as plant managers, seafood engineers and corporate executives, according to an article from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (https://news.uaf.edu/training-institute-grooms-future-seafood-industry-leaders/)
The cost of the program is USD 1,800 (EUR 1,500) to attend the two week-long sessions or USD 2,500 (EUR 2,100) to attend the two sessions and next year’s Seafood Expo North America in Boston. Applicants must be employed in Alaska, but the employer does not need to be based in the state.
Applications for the program are due by 30 September.
Alaska Sea Grant, part of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, uses research and educational initiatives to promote appropriate uses of the state’s marine and coastal resources. Among its areas of focus include sustainable fisheries and resilient local economies.
