Workforce Wednesday: Seafood Processing

Dave Hatton, a rural Alaska recruiter, joined Daybreak to discuss the field and the opportunities for people looking for work.

“They can find themselves in a number of different positions,” Said Hatton of the job. “The slime line, sorting out the fish that come in, placing them on conveyor belts. They could be working case-up, where they take the processed fish and put them in boxes and ready them for shipment.”

The seafood that would be getting processed typically in the winter are pollock, crab, cod and halibut.

For some companies, according to Hatton, there is not an educational requirement to work in seafood processing, but stated that if you had previous experience, you were likely to be in a better position.

Companies looking to hire:

• Unisea
• Westwood Seafoods
• American Seafoods
• Arctic Storm
• Aleutians Spray
• Trident Seafoods
• Glacier Seafoods
• Coastal Village

Most of the available positions will have people beginning their work in January for the season.

As far as pay, an entry-level position could net you near $10 an hour, with a lot of built-in overtime due to long hours. Also, there are a lot of positions outside of the processing line that could be open to people who perform well.

If you need help starting a career, or are interested in any industry featured on Workforce Wednesday, you can always contact Martha Peck at Alaska Process Industries Career Consortium.