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The ultimate goal is to develop a new mentoring supported workbased learning process within fin-fish aquaculture VET that improves the conditions for learning theory for husbandry staff with strong practical skills, but which at the same time are challenged with learning and writing disabilities or has experienced to be a school leaver. It enables individual’s informal competences and skills to become recognised and accepted, within fin-fish aquaculture national qualifications (NQ), and built on through individualised and group learning supported processes.

This partnership will develop and pilot a system for the delivery of innovative ‘individualised’ work-based learning practices supported by in-company mentors. The pre-requisite processes recognising prior learning and flexible learning resources will be aligned to a shared framework of industry endorsed learning outcomes. The continuous assessment of practical competence at the workplace will involve employers and inform NQ assessment results that are understood by the main fish producing companies in northern Europe. Consequently, work-based VET pathways and qualifications will gain parity of esteem and learner mobility will be promoted, aided by European tools, including EQF and ECVET. The northern European industry’s aim of promoting knowledge exchange between the main fish producing countries and collective problem solving will be synergised by the shared learning system.

There is a gap between the ambitions of the industry, and the current training methods which do not take into account how many staff that are champions in problem solving, while they at the same time avoid and fears the required theoretical training. This will be resolved by developing:

• a common framework of learning outcomes for north European fin-fish cage farming developed 
• new work-based learning and assessment delivery systems and resources that increase capacity for mentoring, farm-based skills instruction and contribute to a quality assured assessment and formal VET delivery system, supported by their VET provider
• national work-based learning delivery partnerships and support teams that will update aquaculture VET resources, shared by the VET provider network, and the irdustry associated partners
• piloting the delivery of aquaculture NQs to work-based learners utilising shared resources and evaluating the learners’ experiences, to inform the development of improved mentoring supported VET learning systems

BlueMentor will help improving the aquaculture VET system for staff working in farming industry. The new in-company mentoring system will target this area, thus offering a system solution with standardized and harmonized methods for support during the theoretical training phases and in particular the workbased training to be organized at farms that may be located in remotely geographical areas.

The overall mission is to improve the accessibility and quality of work-based learning and start preparíng for ‘harmonisation" of industry endorsed NQ, hereby promoting learner and skilled labour mobility.