To train, or not to train, that is the question
A lot of activities performed by Seafish are in collaboration with external contacts and this includes a large proportion of work conducted by our onshore training team. They’re responsible for developing seafood specific training programmes, which are delivered by a network of Seafish approved trainers.
During the past three decades various training courses have been presented to learners working in the seafood industry by a Seafish approved trainer. Despite the fact that some Seafish training programmes are available to study online, there’s still a place for taught courses to be delivered in a classroom environment, whether a compliance programme such as food hygiene or a more practical course such as fish smoking.
To be approved as a Seafish trainer, individuals must possess an expert technical knowledge of the topic area they wish to deliver, along with some formal training qualification. Other criteria can include a food hygiene qualification, as the trainers are required to conduct their training in a safe and hygienic manner. In many instances experience of working in the seafood industry is also required.
The final stage of the approval process is for the trainer to be observed by a member of the onshore training team delivering a Seafish course to a satisfactory standard. One person who has recently become approved is Rachel Jones. Originally from Cardiff, Rachel now lives and works in Snowdonia, helping small food and drink businesses to grow and develop. She has worked in hospitality and training for over 30 years specialising in topics including food hygiene and HACCP. Rachel says: “As a freelance trainer I rarely have any peer-to-peer observation, and so the verbal feedback that I received from Seafish after delivering their Introductory HACCP course was really useful, and along with the course observation report that I received, it confirmed that I’d delivered a professional course but also highlighted a few areas where I can improve still further.”
Trainers tend to be passionate people who love to share their skills and knowledge with their learners and Seafish approved trainers are no different. Take Gordon Gibb working for Polaris Learning near Inverurie. Gordon was recognised for his contribution to training at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Star Awards last year when he was highly commended in the SQA Champion category. He has also recently been seen on the BBC programme Fish Town (see nine and 14 minutes in) delivering the Develop Young Workforce three-day programme on behalf of the Scottish Seafood Training Network.
So as you can see, Seafish develops working relationships with enthusiastic people who have a desire to teach others to learn. We’re always looking to team up with suitable, like-minded people, maybe that’s you.
If you’re interested in becoming a Seafish approved trainer, please contact us