Education
Youth Perception about the Blue Economy and its career opportunities
The rapidly expanding Blue Economy, encompassing ocean sciences, marine conservation, Maritime safety and security, coastal and marine tourism exploitation and developments, demands a skilled workforce. To investigate the awareness of today’s youth of such an important economy, DOTCAN conducted a study, initially funded by an Ocean Frontier Institute Seed Fund, to investigate youth perceptions of Blue Economy careers. Adapting a COVE-based survey tool, DOTCAN gathered data on high school students’ knowledge, opinions, and aspirations in Mindelo, Cabo Verde; Accra, Ghana; and Halifax, Canada. This research prioritized inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) within the Blue Economy, aiming to advance social justice and workforce diversification. This research will inform the development of programs to promote Blue Economy careers and address existing perceptions and inequities.
Findings will inform targeted recruitment and messaging to address local inequities and raise awareness of ocean careers among underrepresented groups. In Cabo Verde, 1856 students (grades 9-12) from five São Vicente Island schools voluntarily completed surveys, facilitated by DOTCAN and partner NGO Biosfera I. Following the survey, a two-day youth side event at Cabo Verde Ocean Week 2022 (CVOW 2022) exposed students to ocean professionals and an “Ocean Solutions Contest,” offering a 50,000 ESC seed fund to support the implementation of winning projects.
In Ghana, 1134 students (grades 10-12) from seven Accra schools completed an equivalent survey, sponsored by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, in collaboration with DOTCAN’s partner, the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute (GoGMI). An ocean literacy presentation accompanied the survey. A subsequent Blue Career Fair, sponsored by DOTCAN and coordinated by GoGMI on April 4th, 2023, further showcased career opportunities and introduced students to local professionals.
Wytec Blue
DOTCAN’s flagship project, “Women & Youth Technical Capacity for the Blue Economy,” launched in 2022, aimed to cultivate technical expertise among women and youth in Canada and West Africa for the promotion of safe, secure, and sustainable blue economies. This three-year initiative developed two online, modular courses: Ocean Technology (OT) and Maritime Safety and Risk Management (MSRM), each incorporating a Leadership and Entrepreneurship (L&E) module. Initial stakeholder engagement, including gap analyses and surveys, shaped curriculum development to address private sector and NGO needs. The curriculum integrated regional and Indigenous knowledge where relevant. These survey courses served as a foundation for future, advanced training, including potential master’s-level programs at West African universities.
In 2024, a ten-week hybrid course was delivered to 41 trainees across three hubs: Nova Scotia, Cabo Verde, and Ghana. Lectures, featuring Canadian and West African experts, were delivered in a hybrid format, where in-person sessions facilitated networking and problem-solving, particularly when modules were taught or co-taught by local professionals. This hybrid approach ensured reliable internet access and enhanced engagement in multicultural settings. The Friday/Saturday schedule maximized participation. Supplementing classroom learning, trainees participated in three field visits to enhance practical understanding.
The project significantly advanced skills and awareness of blue economy opportunities. It received funding from the Government of Canada and official endorsement from UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
The project funding and endorsement have both been renewed to allow DOTCAN to builds on experience, success and lessons learned from the inaugural WYTEC Blue project, and expand the geographical reach with new Hubs in Atlantic Canada and West Africa, extend the learning and networking opportunities for the alumni, and provide post-training project implementation opportunities.
Stay tuned for more on the implementation of the WYTEC Blue next edition in Nigeria and Sierra Leone in 2025, and in Gambia and Sao Tome e Principe in 2026.
PAGE2OT
A key target in DOTCAN’s vision, since inception, is to contribute to strengthening, through Canada-West Africa partnerships, the West African higher education capacity in the Blue Economy, Ocean Technology and Business sectors, in order to promote its international academic profile, while contributing to training the next generation of ocean leaders.
DOTCAN sees real potential for a mutually beneficial approach that would bring the Canadian multi-sectoral experience and expertise in Ocean Science and Technology, and Entrepreneurship and Business development, together with key West African Ocean stakeholders for the advancement of safe, secure and sustainable Blue Economies. In this case, the main West African partner would be the established regional research-focused and capacity building organization, WASCAL (West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use; funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research – BMBF), designed to help tackle the West African climate change challenges by enhancing the resilience of human and environmental systems.
During this program, to be born from the cooperation between WASCAL, UTA, NSCC and Dalhousie, students (North American and WASCAL-selected West African students, 11 from each group) would in their first year participate in a set of intensive modular Ocean Science and Technology Graduate Level courses co-taught between Ocean Science Technology Faculties from Dalhousie University, NSCC and WASCAL, and complemented with Entrepreneurship and Business Development courses. As part of the second-year, students will be evaluated for their project proposal to either develop a capstone project in Ocean Technology or implement an applied research thesis, which they will work on in the second phase of the second year Finally students will complete their degree during the PAGE2OT Symposium by presenting either their innovative product pitch or defend their research thesis. All project development ideas will focus on West Africa’s challenges and opportunities and will be presented at the Symposium to a network of ocean professionals from the participating countries, namely Canada, Germany, Cabo Verde and other ECOWAS nations.