High schoolers dive into Virginia’s growing aquaculture industry
Through hands-on training, classroom resources, and industry partnerships, Virginia Tech is supporting workforce development in a vital Virginia industry.
With boots in the mud and oysters in hand, high school juniors and seniors from across coastal Virginia are getting a firsthand look at the region’s thriving aquaculture industry — and discovering how they might be part of its future.
They’re participating in Promoting Careers in Aquaculture, a summer program led by Virginia Tech in partnership with GO Virginia Regions 5 and 6, the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, and a network of industry, education, and workforce partners. Now in its third year, the program has engaged about 60 students and 30 teachers while building a homegrown talent pipeline to support Virginia’s shellfish aquaculture sector — a sustainable, growing, and economically vital industry for the commonwealth.
“This is about community engagement with a purpose,” said project lead Mallory Tuttle, associate director of the Virginia Tech Newport News Center and the Center for Economic and Community Engagement. “We’re working across sectors and regions to prepare students for real careers that are needed now — and will be needed even more in the future.”
Why this matters
Virginia is a national leader in oyster production, an industry generating over $60 million annually. For it to thrive, businesses need a skilled workforce ready for hands-on careers along the state’s working waterfronts.
The program helps build that workforce. Students begin with online modules, then visit farms, hatcheries, and research facilities before completing paid internships with local businesses such as Matheson Oyster Co., Oyster Seed Holdings, and Healthy Harvest Fresh.
Helping students and employers thrive
Afroze Mohammed, the Center for Economic and Community Engagement’s associate director for strategic alliances, worked with aquaculture businesses to ensure those internships succeed. Many companies, she said, had never hosted high school interns before.
“It’s not just about placing students — it’s about creating meaningful, safe, and educational experiences,” Mohammed said. “The training we gave to industry partners provided best practices for hosting interns and drew upon insights from companies. For example, an employee shared his life-changing experience of learning about aquaculture, being mentored, having an internship, and now having a career in the same company.”
Teachers benefit too
The program provides hands-on learning and curriculum support to help teachers bring aquaculture into their classrooms.
“Teachers need opportunities to fill their own cups,” said Sara Beam, lead instructor for the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School and an original program partner. “This gives us time to learn alongside industry experts and bring fresh insights back to our students. It’s professional development with real impact.”
The Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center is a key collaborator, contributing technical expertise, industry research, and decades of experience supporting Virginia’s seafood and aquaculture industries. “By helping students and educators understand the science and opportunities within aquaculture, we’re investing in a skilled workforce that will sustain this vital sector for generations,” Director Michael Schwarz said.
Land-grant mission in action
Tuttle said this is a great example of how Virginia Tech’s role as a land-grant university comes to life. “By working with schools, businesses, and neighbors, we’re helping students discover career options in aquaculture and giving teachers the tools to keep that interest alive,” she said. “Together, we’re growing the skilled workforce that Virginia’s shellfish industry will rely on for years to come.”
The program is coordinated through the Center for Economic and Community Engagement, part of Outreach and International Affairs, which works statewide to connect university expertise with community and industry needs. It was funded in part by GO Virginia, a state initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development that strengthens and diversifies Virginia’s economy and fosters the creation of higher wage jobs in strategic industries.
This year’s program serves students and teachers from the Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck, Hampton Roads, and the Eastern Shore. It concludes this month with students receiving digital badges and stipends and teachers submitting their final classroom-ready lesson plans.
“We’re seeing students connect their interests to real career paths they didn’t know existed,” Tuttle said. “And we’re seeing industry partners excited to mentor the next generation. That kind of engagement is what this work is all about — helping communities and economies grow together.”
