– It’s a bit bitter that you don’t get to complete your education at the time you thought you would. That’s what 18-year-old Jesper Johnsen says. He dreams of becoming a fisherman. There are more and more people like him. But many do not get an apprenticeship. In Jesper’s class, 6 out of 24 students are absent. In addition to Jesper Johnsen, there are five other apprentices who are without a place from Sortland secondary school department Øksnes this year. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news Jan-Erik Indrestrand, information manager at the Fishermen’s Association, says that it is a challenge throughout the country to find apprenticeships for fishery students. The reason? The fishermen have to fix less, because the fishing quotas are decreasing. Many therefore cannot afford to have fishing apprentices on their boats. Now the Fishermen’s Association is reducing the wages of apprentices on parts of the fleet so that more people can get apprenticeships. That doesn’t mean that it works out for everyone. – Of course there’s some money in it – We know what kind of time we’re in. It’s tough. Therefore, it is not a shock that someone is left without. For Johnsen, it works out. He is guaranteed an apprenticeship from next year. It will only be a year in limbo for him. In the meantime, he works at a breeding facility in Bø. The year in limbo will not play out for Johnsen. He has got a job at the breeding facility Egil Kristoffersen and Sons in Bø. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news Next year he will not be working with farmed fish. The dream is to be a fisherman on a fishing boat. – It’s fun and interesting and of course there’s some money in it. And that is part of the reason why many are without an apprenticeship this year. Further education: Should lower wages It is because fisheries apprentices are expensive. In a year, with salary and lottery tickets, i.e. their share of the profit on the boat, they can earn a million kroner if they are lucky. But with lower quotas and higher interest rates, it is a challenge for boat owners to pay for them. Then probably many not to take on apprentices. – It’s simple math: Less money in, less money to spend. That’s what Karen Steinsvik, head of department at the Sortland secondary school department in Øksnes, says. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news – We are in dialogue with fishermen who have been in the thinking box about taking on an apprentice, who even decided not to take on an apprentice because of the latest quota cuts. Since the profession has become so popular, the educational institutions have also been built up. The first cohort at Øksnes consisted of seven students. That was in 2018. Last year they admitted 24 students. – What should one do? The school works with the training office to motivate them to take on apprentices, but we can’t do magic. We are dependent on several companies being able to take on apprentices. There are three secondary schools in Nordland with a fishing major. So far, only apprentices at Sortland secondary school have not been given an apprenticeship, but the other schools fear the same will happen to them next year. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news The secondary school believes the solution to the problem lies in the wages of the apprentices. – We want to pass the ball to the Fishermen’s Association so that they can discuss how the apprentices on the coastal fishing fleet should be paid, says Steinsvik and adds: – If the cost of having apprentices becomes a little lower, more boats will have apprentices on board. Then we can secure the education course. It is important that those who have started can finish. Leader of the fishermen’s association: – Sit deep Gudmund Rognan, leader of the Øksnes fishermen’s association, believes that the reason why many people now want to become fishermen is that the industry has been doing well over several years. Now he thinks there may not be enough fishing boats to keep going as before. – There is a completely different economic situation and prospects in the industry than we have had in the last ten years. That is probably one reason why many are reluctant to take on apprentices, says Gudmund Rognan, leader of the Øksnes fishermen’s association. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news Nevertheless, he is unsure about lowering the apprentices’ wages. – It’s a bit far inside. The lot system is very well incorporated among the fishermen, and it may take some time to get something done with it. The fishermen, including Rognan, have been working for years to raise the wages of the apprentices. The quotas for both cod, herring, blue halibut and mackerel have been greatly reduced. It depends on what the fishermen earn and how much they can afford to set aside for apprentices. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news – A young person can be very good for the environment on a fishing boat, and that is our future. We need them to drive the industry forward. But if you have apprentices on the boat, it depends on what the others on the boat get in return. Fiskarlaget: The salary is going down for some of the boat owners and the crew of the Fiskarlaget are now negotiating a tariff for, among other things, the apprentices. On Thursday, they agreed to reduce wages and take away lots of parts of the fleet. – I had a summer job here, so I was allowed to continue. I enjoy working with great people. That’s why it’s going well for me, says Jesper Johnsen about having to work for a year in fish farming before he can become an apprentice on a fishing boat. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news On vessels with a crew of three or fewer, the apprentices will earn 18,000 per month in the first year. In the second year as an apprentice, they will earn NOK 23,000 a month, says Heidi Rånes, leader of the Boat Owners Section in the Fishermen’s Association. This applies from 1 January 2025. – High quotas and good fishing prices at the same time as structuring in the fleet have meant that the quotas for each individual boat are larger. Therefore, the apprentices have also fired more, she says. – The lottery system that we have in the fishery, where owners and crews share the catch income after deducting operating expenses, has a long tradition, says Heidi Rånes, leader of the Boat Owners’ Section in the Fishermen’s Association. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news In Hvaler in Østfold, the fishing line has been granted exemption from the collective agreement. There, the students receive a fixed salary instead of a percentage. All apprentices got a place there this year. Rånes says that this experience is one of the reasons why they are now going for this solution for the whole country. Rognan in Øksnes Fiskarlag instead hopes for an increase in the apprentice allowance. Troms and Finnmark County Council has already done that. A lifelong dream Jesper Johnsen wants to be a fisherman for as long as he can think. Both his brother, father and grandfather are fishermen. – The interest started early, already when I was six years old, I started cutting cod tongue. Then I learned that there is a lot of money in fish. Jesper Johnsen says that it can be very long days and little sleep on a fishing boat. – You work until you have a full boat. It can easily take a day. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news Lack of apprenticeship places means he can surpass other people’s dreams. – If it is difficult to get a place, it may well be that many find other things to do. Therefore, he thinks that lowering the salary can be a good solution. – I cannot answer for everyone in the country, but I think that there is an opportunity to reduce the salary. At the same time, it is such a tough profession that one should be well paid. Published 31.10.2024, at 14.21 Updated 31.10.2024, at 14.25
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Apprentices do not get places because of low quotas and high salaries – news Nordland
