SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — The University of Rhode Island has been awarded federal funding to help strengthen training programs for aquaculture workers and develop an online training curriculum that can be deployed nationwide.

Rhode Island’s congressional delegation says URI’s Rhode Island Sea Grant program was awarded nearly $750,000.

The funding will be used to bolster an entry-level training curriculum for aquaculture farm workers in Rhode Island to improve worker safety, promote critical skills and boost employee recruitment and retention. Rhode Island Sea Grant also will develop online worker training that can be adopted by other states to promote aquaculture workforce training and production.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, says the funding will enable Rhode Island Sea Grant to help train the country’s seafood workforce so more people can find good jobs.

–Associated Press

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