These monthly meetings bring together education, private industry, government, non-profits, and tribes for conversation and connection. These opportunities provide space for those working in the forest sector to discuss specific topics, learn from each other, and identify ways to address workforce challenges.
Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month from 10am-12pm PT.
Clicking the register button below will add you to future Forest Sector Workforce Development Group communications with meeting details. You only need to register once. Contact Pathways Program Coordinator, Erin Feeney with any questions, to suggest a topic, or to be removed from group communications.
March 19 Forestry Scholarships – Virtual via Zoom
April 16 Working Group Strategic Review – Virtual via Zoom
May 21 NO MEETING
June 18 Camp Canopy: A Look at the Role of Forestry Camps
July 16 To Be Announced
August 20 NO MEETING
September 17 To Be Announced
October 15 To Be Announced
November 19 To Be Announced
December 17 To Be Announced
The Forest Sector Workforce Development Working Group was created in January 2024 out of the Mapping the Course conference to provide a space for forestry stakeholders to discuss and address the multifarious labor challenges facing every area of the sector.
Past meetings
February 2025 – Conservation Corps to Career
Many Youth Corps and Conservation Corps members are interested in an outdoors career, but are unaware of all the opportunities that the forest sector offers and/or how to pursue them. Representatives from several Corps programs will attend the February meeting to share information about their members’ interests and needs, and explore how industry can support the transition from Corps to forestry career.
January 2025 – Pathways Workshop at the World Forestry Center, Portland, OR
December 2024 – Rayonier’s Forestry Careers website
Rayonier’s Director of Communications & Chief Storyteller, Tiffany Wilson, along with Senior Resource Land Manager, Ed Carter, shared information about ForestryCareers.com. The website seeks to introduce students from middle school to college to the many Green Jobs the forestry industry has to offer. With a focus especially on the commercial forestry industry, this site shows that there is a forestry job for everyone. This website can be used in the classroom or on an individual level. School teachers, guidance counselors and parents are encouraged to review the site with students. ForestryCareers.com is meant to serve the entire forestry industry.
November 2024 – California Resilient Careers in Forestry project and will highlight the innovative workforce initiatives happening in California. Don Borges of FoundationCCC will share information on California Resilient Careers in Forestry with project partners Ted James of Shasta College Heavy Equipment Logging Operations (HELO) Program and Lisa Hoveman from California Registered Apprenticeship Forest Training (CRAFT).
California’s forestry and firefighting industries are looking for thousands of individuals like you who want to solidify their careers and build a lasting impact. Our goal is to help you explore career pathways and find accessible training programs that lead to a rewarding future. California Resilient Careers in Forestry is funded by the Good Jobs Challenge, which is part of the American Rescue Plan, administered by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The Shasta College Heavy Equipment Logging Operations (HELO) Program is a one-of-a-kind effort to increase workforce capacity in areas of fuels reduction, mechanized logging, and sustainable forest management. Our HELO program is funded by California Climate Investments and administered by the CAL FIRE Forest Health grant program in collaboration with public agencies, private industry, and employer partners.
California Registered Apprenticeship Forest Training (CRAFT) is the only one of its kind in California. The program is designed and managed by industry, supported by education, & registered with California’s Division of Apprenticeship Standards and Department of Industrial Relations. This structured training and education program combines on-the-job (OJT) training and classroom-based related supplemental instruction (RSI) that benefits both employer and apprentice. The future is apprenticeship!
October 2024 – Efforts of Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) and Future Natural Resource Leaders (FNRL) in creating a Forest Operator industry recognized credential (IRC) in Oregon
September 2024 – Connecting with the Mass Timber Movement. Mass Timber overview from Scott Barton-Smith from Bora Architecture and Interiors with industry status, challenges, and opportunities from Iain Macdonald of Tallwood Design Institute and the PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub
July 2024 – Forest Sector Stakeholder Mapping
June 2024 – Forest Sector Workforce Surveys
Forestry and Forest Products – Career Connected Learning Survey
Forestry and Forest Products – Workforce Development Survey
April 2024 – Role of Skill Centers in Forestry & Natural Resources Career Pathways