If a life afloat appeals, then read on. The fishing industry has traditionally been the preserve of those with fishing backgrounds but this is slowly beginning to change, says John Connaughton, advisory services officer with Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

BIM, which offers a range of training courses from beginners to advanced, is trying to attract young well-motivated people from whatever background. "We are always trying to get new blood and encourage people who wouldn't have thought of it as an option."

There are three courses which BIM offers which may be of interest to school leavers: fishing deckhand, fish farming and fish vessel engineering. While the minimum educational requirements for fishing deckhand are a pass in the Junior Cert, Connaughton notes that, increasingly, students have completed their Leaving Cert. This is in keeping with the increase in the numbers with Leaving Cert on FAS apprenticeships.

It's mostly boys who are attracted to a career as a fishing deckhand but Connaughton says it is open to women. A lot of the manual work on large modern supertrawlers is now done with the assistance of pneumatics, hydraulics and sophisticated electronics. However, there is still a lot of hard work to be done, particularly on the small vessels - the 40-foot boats which fish for crabs and lobsters, says Connaughton. For that reason, trainee deckhands must be physically fit and pass a seafarer's medical examination.

Obviously, careers at sea will not suit everyone and, for those trainees who come from inland areas, it can be a little difficult to judge in advance. "We have an introductory six-week period and a pre-assessment. This gives trainees an opportunity to find out whether it's something they really want. It also gives potential employers a chance to see their new recruits," says Connaughton.

BIM is recruiting at present and has placed ads in the coastal provincal papers. Interested students can also write directly to BIM requesting an application form and a training folder. Selection is on the basis of an interview.

The course, which can accommodate 20 students, will begin in January. Applicants do not necessarily have to have a sponsor, says Connaughton. The courses are open to the unemployed and those looking for a career change as well as school-leavers.

Connaughton is conscious that BIM is competing with other industries where people do not have to go out in all kinds of weather. He stresses the versatility and sustainable nature of the employment. As to wages, he says most deck-hands are paid a share of the catch. "Somebody who has gone through one of our courses could expect to get a full share."

There is a career path, he adds, so somebody who completes the deckhand courses and who has two years' fishing experience and is over a certain age can do a mate's ticket. Following this, they may do a second hand full and a skipper full.

"Somebody starting out as a deckhand can come back and progress the whole way to skipper full," he emphasises.