The latest Forest Skills Plan for England and Wales was launched this week on February 6th. This looks at the forestry and woodland sector and the current skills shortage in the sector, following the 2017 publication of research led by the Royal Forestry Society ‘A Forestry Skills Study for England and Wales’.
The five-year Forestry Skills Plan aims to increase numbers of new entrants and improve the skills of the current workforce so that the growing forestry and Woodland industry can reach its full potential in the coming years. The plan is wide-ranging working with education, from early years to higher education, through to employer.
The Forest School Association is part of a national working group, the Forest Skills Forum, chaired by the Forestry Commission. We have been one of the key organisations working with FEN, RFS, Woodland Trust, and Forestry Commission in bringing awareness of woodland and Forest to primary and secondary education, as part of this important plan. For more information see https://www.rfs.org.uk/skills-forum/
