Iceland’s Ministry of Education has taken the decision that fishing gear technology, taught as an apprenticeship leading ultimately to a master netmaker’s qualification, will remain on the register of recognised trades in Iceland.
‘The Minister of Education’s decision is a cause for celebration for this trade, as it is not long since there were proposals to stop teaching fishing gear technology as a further education subject,’ said master netmaker and Hampiðjan’s fishing gear development manager Guðmundur Gunnarsson.
Fishing gear technologists train under an apprenticeship scheme split between practical work on the job and theory study leading to a qualification as a netmaker. The theory side of the programme has been taught since 1991 at the Suðurnes College of Further Education, initially under Björn Bjarnason, and Lárus Thór Pálmason has been the instructor since 1995.
‘The course is taught according to the new syllabus developed by Gylfi Einarsson, Hörður Jónsson, Guðmundur Gunnarsson and myself,’ Lárus Thór Pálmason said, commenting that there are six students this semester. There were 15 during the previous semester and 25 during last year’s spring semester.
‘The main change that has taken place in recent years is that we offer an open learning route for the theory study that candidates can follow. It has been noticeable that ships’ officers and other with links to fishing have increasingly been studying this course, including 29 candidates who took tests to assess prior learning in fishing gear technology.’
Lárus Thór Pálmason added that fishermen look on fishing gear technology as a route to working ashore when they stop going to sea, and around half of students find their way into working in fishing gear once they qualify.
