Seaweed and kelp are the future.

North Island College (NIC)  has announced a new seaweed industry pilot project to equip people with skills to thrive in the emerging industry.

"This seaweed industry pilot is a forward-thinking approach to skills training and economic development, focused on preparing our communities for the future," says Lisa Beare, minister of post-secondary education and future skills. "By providing training in a new and emerging industry, we are helping residents access new job opportunities and are fostering economic resiliency to build a stronger B.C."

NIC's Centre of Applied Research, Technology and Innovation (CARTI) is leading the charge, with the province supporting the project with $1.2 million over three years. 

The project will focus on sustainable seaweed cultivation, processing and marketing, allowing people to secure jobs in the field. Seaweed and kelp are used in various products such as soaps, fertilizers, and foods like popcorn flavouring, chips and hot sauce. The stalk or thallus of a kelp plant can be cut into pickle shapes and eaten as such. 

"There are lots of other opportunities today that we may not even know about today, and a real-life example is in this lab where we can research things like could we extract colour dyes out of seaweed that could be used in the fabric industry or are there our opportunities in bio-packaging?" says Mark Smith, executive director of the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association. "This is mission critical for the industry because, at this time, we don't know what we don't know... It's the starting point."

The pilot project will have seven micro-credentials and offer hands-on field training to students over 18 months. It has spots for an estimated 80 students, with funding covering full tuition costs and support. 

Registration for the project will open in October. The course will start during the 2025 winter and spring semesters. 

"Supporting the seaweed industry is an innovative way of diversifying our economy and creating job opportunities for residents," says Michele Babchuk, MLA for the North Island. "This project is part of our government's commitment to the economic health and future of northern Vancouver Island, and I am excited to see NIC prepare people for successful careers in the seaweed industry."

The project is part of the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan released in May 2023. It is a cross-government plan to make education and training accessible and affordable. It is supported by the province's investment of $480 million.