By SeaWestNews

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) is looking to groom future leaders in the seafood industry with a new development program.

The Future Leaders Canada program is offered in partnership with its US counterpart, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) with a curriculum designed to develop emerging leaders in the Canadian seafood industry through networking, programming and unique experiences along the supply chain.

“Executives who invested in the inaugural Future Leaders Canada Class of 2019 tell us the program was a huge success,” said Paul Lansbergen, President of FCC.

“Further, the Future Leaders participants can’t say enough about the value they received from the program. Future Leaders Canada 2020 will build on that initial success.”

The program is open to all employees across the seafood supply chain – wild-capture or aquaculture.

The Fisheries Council represents small, medium and larger-sized, primarily family owned companies from rural, coastal and Indigenous communities operating on Canada’s three coasts.

This program seeks to expose Future Leaders Canada participants to the various aspects

of the seafood industry and facilitates opportunities for networking with classmates.

The program enhances industry knowledge and leadership skills in the areas of government relations, production, procurement, sales, and marketing. In addition to facility tours, participants get the opportunity to interact with different audiences that affect business decisions in the seafood community.

Curriculum includes opportunities to interact with Parliamentarians and government officials who make legislative and regulatory decisions. Participants also get a chance to learn about how customers, such as retailers and restaurants, operate and what influences their buying decisions.

The program consists of three 3-day sessions, from May through August. The Future Leaders Canada participants will visit Ottawa, ON, Chicago, IL, Vancouver, BC, and their surrounding areas.

There is an optional orientation session in Boston at the Seafood Expo North America in March and an optional session in Brussels at the Seafood Expo Global in April. Graduates will be celebrated at the FCC Annual Conference in Ottawa, October 7-8, 2020.

“I invite all senior executives throughout our sector supply chain to take this opportunity to invest in your future leaders. This is a one-of-a-kind career development program specifically designed for our sector,” said Lansbergen. “For program participants, be prepared for a challenging and rewarding experience.”

The application period is now open and closes January 10, 2020. For more information, visit the   FCC website.