An Investment in our seafood workforce:
A regional effort to strengthen Oregon’s coastal workforce began taking shape in late 2023, when local economic and tourism leaders partnered to launch a seafood-butchery program aimed at preparing high school students for careers in the state’s Blue Economy. The conversation between the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County (EDALC), the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) and OCVA’s Oregon Ocean Cluster (OOC) about OOC’s plan for a transformative workforce-development initiative on the Oregon Coast began in December 2023. Their efforts were focused on a pilot program to equip coastal high school students with seafood-butchery skills. The goal of this pilot was to help address a seafood industry workforce gap with the goal of strengthening Oregon’s Blue Economy and supporting the OOC mission of keeping more local seafood local.
As a result of the ongoing conversation with OCVA and OOC, EDALC committed Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) dollars to fund the first year of the High School Seafood Butchery Program. With that funding in place, the project was implemented in six coastal high schools representing five of Oregon’s seven coastal counties.
The pilot curriculum (School Year 2023-2024) blended online learning with hands-on workshops where students filleted fish and crabs, learned sustainable seafood practices, and were introduced to the ways in which these skills mesh with science, culinary arts, and local food systems. The program goals were:
- Ensure that there is a strong and skilled workforce for the future of the Blue Economy
- Keep more seafood local
- Connect youth to place through food
OOC leveraged the pilot’s success and was able to unlock funding for a second year of programmatic and geographic expansion. According to the Oregon Ocean Cluster’s “Seafood Butchery Program Playbook” highlights of the second year of programming (School Year 2024-2025) included:
- A continuation of the model for partnering with existing culinary or science programs in K-12 schools.
- An 80% increase in school participation.
- A 150% increase in Logistics partnerships.
Looking to the future:
The continued growth of the High School Seafood Butchery Program reflects both the urgent needs and the tremendous opportunities within Oregon’s coastal economy. What began as a collaborative conversation evolved into a multi-year effort that strengthens local industries, expands regional partnerships, and empowers students with skills that connect them to place, community, and career pathways. As participation accelerates and the program’s footprint expands, the initiative is poised to play an even larger role in developing the next generation of seafood professionals and ensuring that Oregon’s coastal communities remain resilient, innovative, and rooted in their maritime heritage.
*For more information/updates on this program visit the OOC website and/or sign up for their newsletter here!