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Fin-fish farming industry must, due to fast technological development, start offering more specialization. Equipment become more complex, expensive, larger, heavier, etc. thus requiring better training and expertise knowledge. This project supports development of high-quality skills and qualifications for staff at marine cages, by developing and establishing a horizontal in company mentor supported learning culture within fish farms, that apply carefully designed open cases. This will lead to more time- and cost-effective delivery of workplace-based learning consisting of a combination of e-learning and on-site flexible learning solutions. This project offers training of aquaculture teachers that may apply new methods and tools to develop high-quality skills in other VET sectors.

The project develops methods for sharing of in company mentor supported learning, which VET schools will apply to improve and enhance current fish farms business partnerships, while at the same time improving the partnership between the schools and the companies. This is obtained by determining the group and each individual learner existing knowledge, skills and experience. Subsequently, this allows VET schools to better target their teaching of the theoretical courses in aquaculture. This is culminating in establishing a proposed VET supply forum that gives input to required industry qualifications and workplace training. This will address previously neglected workforce development issues, sustaining the momentum generated by partners and thereby contributing to the sustainable growth of marine fin- fish farming by keeping the environmental perspective in focus through learning methods enhancing ICT and greening skills.

BlueMentor apply an innovative method to close skills gaps in the fin-fish aquaculture industry, paying particular attention to digital and green skills and contributing to the ESCO revision and classification of skills, knowledge, competencies for aquaculture. It proposes a strategy for the collaborative development by engaging key aquaculture industry and VET schools to start developing a "harmonized" VET system based up on joint NQs in the 3 European countries farming salmon and trout.

The project develops joint aquaculture VET qualifications in 3 European states, culminating in a harmonized plan for the development of innovative VET solutions to support aquaculture workforce development and address the skills gaps.