NAFC student nominated for prize at British Education Awards

A STUDENT at the NAFC Marine Centre in Scalloway has been named as a finalist for this year’s British Education Awards.

Emma Rochester is currently enrolled on the centre’s level three modern apprenticeship in aquaculture.

Rochester, who lives in Yell, first joined NAFC’s Merchant Navy officer cadet programme and trained as a deck officer.

She then switched to the aquaculture industry, joining Cooke Aquaculture in Yell. She enrolled on NAFC’s level two modern apprenticeship in aquaculture and in 2019 she was awarded the Jim Tait Prize for Aquaculture for the best student completing the course.

Emma was nominated for the award by NAFC’s section leader for aquaculture training, Stuart Fitzsimmons.

“Emma is one of the best candidates to have completed NAFC’s modern apprenticeship in aquaculture at level two,” he said. “Throughout the programme she impressed us with the quality of her work and her professionalism in the work place.”

The news comes after two other NAFC Marine Centre students – Valentina Romano and Jimmy Dakin – were nominated for Lantra Scotland’s 2020 awards.

NAFC principal Willie Shannon said: “Emma, Valentina and Jimmy are to be congratulated on being shortlisted for these prestigious national awards.

“These well-deserved nominations reflect the hard work and commitment that all three students have displayed throughout their training at the NAFC Marine Centre.

“It also highlights the quality of the training delivered at NAFC and the efforts of our aquaculture training staff in supporting these and all our other students during their training.”

The British Education Awards will take place in Manchester on 30 January.