NRDC offers a three-year diploma program in Fisheries and Aquaculture, underwritten by the University of Zambia (UNZA). The college also offers short-term aquaculture courses. The three-year program is offered on both full-time and distance learning modes.

Upgraded Curriculum – WorldFish, NRDC and Partners
In line with Zambia’s economic diversification program and the government's agenda to enhance the Fisheries sector, NRDC partnered with WorldFish and Blue Planet and others to improve the Fisheries and Aquaculture program (previously called Fisheries Science). Upgrading the fisheries science curriculum was funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) through funding for the 'Aquaculture Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training for Improved Private Sector and Smallholder Skills project' (AQ TEVET).
The partners collaborated to upgrade the curriculum to align the program to the current global and national trends in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and adapt to current opportunities and challenges in the sub-sector.

The sector has grown significantly in recent years. However, its growth is hampered by the lack of qualified personnel for the sector. The upgraded curriculum addresses the need for well trained, skilled and competent graduates who will contribute effectively to the industry's growth upon graduation.
In addition, to addressing the needs of capture fisheries, the upgraded Fisheries Program is now producing graduates that can effectively service the rapidly growing, smallholder farmer and private sector-driven aquaculture industry. The upgraded program improves the graduates’ skills and chances of gaining viable employment in the private sector and also effectively contributing to the smallholder aquaculture sector. The upgraded program also strengthens students' entrepreneurial capacity to establish their fisheries-based enterprises and create jobs and socio-economic opportunities for other citizens.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Program: current features

1. An Upgraded long term curriculum: The upgraded curriculum enables learners to acquire adequate knowledge and skills in both aquaculture and capture fisheries. The new upgraded curriculum:
   • Ensures well-trained, practically skilled and competent graduates to meet the private sector's demand.
   • Integrates new local and global developments in aquaculture into the existing curriculum to better serve the sector.
   • Strengthens the entrepreneurial capacity of students to increase employment creation.
2. Short term courses: Provides quality and practical training for young graduates and entrepreneurs in the aquaculture sector and offers aquaculture capacity strengthening for smallholder fish farmers, private and public sector actors, students and any other interested parties along the aquaculture value chain. Short-term courses can also be tailor-made based on client demand.  Among these include’s introduction to fish farming, seed production and hatchery management, nutrition and feed formulation, catfish production, cage fish farming, fish pond management, farm business records among others.
   
   
3. Aquaculture skills training center:
   
   Constructed at the main campus, the centre enables students to hone their practical aquaculture skills and research training. It consists of a hatchery with a production capacity of 1,000,000 fingerlings per annum; and a pond area of nursery, broodstock, production and sedimentation units.
   
   
4. Online aquaculture training platform:
   
   Serves as an additional resource to classroom training, providing an enabling environment for learners to quickly grasp the idea around fish biology, production, nutrition, health, and many more essential topics. The courses are taught via self-explanatory animations and real-time videos.
   
   
5. Novel internship program:
   
   Exposes students to real field scenarios, enabling them to gain practical experience from the industry whilst applying the knowledge gained from their training. Apart from practical skills, this allows students to gain soft skills such as work ethics, networking, and confidence needed to succeed.