A shortage of foresters in the UK has led to the government offering free courses in order to meet targets for tree planting. According to the Institute of Chartered Foresters as early as 2021 there was a shortfall of 10,000 workers. Source: Timberbiz
The courses will grow the skilled forestry sector which is worth more than £2 billion.
Courses funded by government will be teaching skills like chainsaw maintenance, coppicing, woodland management, and marketing and selling timber.
The Forestry Training Fund is for people considering a change of career or those who are seeking to build and diversify their skills in forestry.
The UK forestry and primary wood processing sectors support 32,000 jobs and contribute £2 billion to the economy every year, while secondary wood processing businesses support a further 60,000 jobs.
The government has committed to increasing tree-planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares a year by the end of the Parliament to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The short, practical training courses will be paid for a by £700,000 allocation from the £750m Nature for Climate Fund and will help grow the forestry sector so that there are enough people with the right skills to plan, plant and manage new woodlands.
Examples of courses which are covered by the fund include:
- coppicing
- chainsaw maintenance and cross-cutting
- managing your woodland
- planning and planting a new woodland
- marketing and selling timber
- fence and hedge laying.
Courses will be available until March 2025 with the eligible courses 100% funded.
