Seafood business apprenticeships | Seafish

Seafood business apprenticeships

We work with providers to support apprenticeship programmes that allow seafood businesses to support people working in a variety of roles. 



What are apprenticeships and how do they work?  

Apprenticeships combine practical on the job training with additional study. An apprentice is employed by a business and is paid while they gain experience and knowledge, important to their job role and chosen apprenticeship.   

We work together with organisations that offer apprenticeships across the UK for the seafood industry. There are many different options available, depending on where you are based.  

You can find out more about the different types of apprenticeships available in each sector by following the links below.  

Funding for apprenticeships also varies across the UK so you should contact a local apprenticeship provider to confirm what rules are in place in your area.   

You can find contact details for some apprenticeship providers further down this page.  

How can apprenticeships support your business? 

Apprenticeships can:  

  • Support staff development so that employees gain important skills and knowledge  
  • Be directly relevant to the operations in your business  
  • Help to boost productivity and quality of output  
  • Attract new talent  
  • Lead to more applications when advertising job roles 
  • Be taken by existing staff as well as new recruits. 
Fish and chips training
Apprenticeships combine practical on the job learning with additional study

Find out about fish frier apprenticeships  

A variety of apprenticeships are available to help businesses in the fish and chip industry ensure that their staff have the knowledge and skills to become excellent fish friers.     

Fish frying businesses can access Level 2 and Level 3 fish and shellfish industry framework based apprenticeships in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. These frameworks have some fish frying and cooked food/food service content to draw from. 

In England the available apprenticeships are standards-based production chef apprenticeships available at Levels 2 and 3.  

Scotland

Polaris Learning - contact Helen Rush on 07780 772508 or helen@polaris-learning.com  

Wales

Coleg Cambria, contact their Employer Engagement team on 0300 3030006 or employers@cambria.ac.uk  (North Wales fish friers only)  

Cambrian Training – contact Mark Llewellyn on 01938 555893 or email mark@cambriantraining.com 

Northern Ireland

The various Regional Colleges may be able to support apprenticeships in the seafood industry.

England

HIT Training – contact 0800 093 5892 or info@hittraining.co.uk  

Fish Friers using apprenticeships 

Case studies and videos about fish and chip apprentices can be accessed on the following links below: 

Award-winning fish and chip shop Krispies of Exmouth use apprenticeships to support young people entering the fish and chip sector.

Find out about fishmonger apprenticeships  

A variety of apprenticeships are available to help businesses in the seafood retail and wholesale industry ensure that their staff have the knowledge and skills to become excellent fishmongers. 

Seafood businesses can access Level 2 and Level 3 fish and shellfish industry framework based apprenticeships in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. These frameworks have a significant fishmonger content to draw from. 

In England the available apprenticeship is a standards-based retail fishmonger apprenticeship at Level 2.  The Standard is being revised to include wholesale fishmongering and this will be available later in 2024.

Scotland

Polaris Learning - contact Helen Rush on 07780 772508 or helen@polaris-learning.com  

Wales

Cambrian Training – contact Mark Llewellyn on 01938 555893 or email mark@cambriantraining.com 

Northern Ireland

The various Regional Colleges may be able to support apprenticeships in the seafood industry.

England

There are several providers of fishmonger apprenticeships. Those supporting independent fishmongers include City of London Corporation and Chef Benson-Smith Ltd.

For an up to date list of providers, please visit this website.

Find out about apprenticeships for fish processors and seafood manufacturers

Fish and shellfish processors businesses can access Level 2 and Level 3 fish and shellfish industry framework based apprenticeships in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. These frameworks have a significant processing and manufacturing content to draw from. 

In England the available apprenticeship is a standards-based food and drink process operator apprenticeship at Level 2.  

Scotland

Polaris Learning - contact Helen Rush on 07780 772508   or helen@polaris-learning.com  

Wales

Cambrian Training – contact Mark Llewellyn on 01938 555893 or email mark@cambriantraining.com 

Northern Ireland

The various Regional Colleges may be able to support apprenticeships in the seafood industry.

England

Late in 2024, the revised Level 2 Fishmonger Standard will become available. This revised Standard will include a pathway for those fish merchants, wholesalers and primary processors who are not well served by the Food and Drink Process Operator Standard.  Those seafood businesses that fit well with the Food and Drink standards are seafood manufacturers, secondary processors and others.

For further guidance on an appropriate apprenticeship provider please contact onshore@seafish.co.uk  or visit the appropriate .gov webpage.

Find out about Fishing apprenticeships

In England there is a fishing apprenticeship available. For information visit the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education website using the link below or view this Seafish webpage on New Entrant training.

Find out about Aquaculture apprenticeships

Aquaculture apprenticeships are currently being revised for Scotland by Lantra. 

Contact for further information

For further information and advice on apprenticeships, please contact us using the details below. 

For enquiries about fish frier, fishmonger or seafood processing apprenticeships, contact our Onshore Training team, email onshore@seafish.co.uk

For enquiries about aquaculture apprenticeships contact our Onshore Training team, email onshore@seafish.co.uk

For enquiries about fishing apprenticeships, contact our Seagoing Training team, email training@seafish.co.uk