Education and training

The online School of Forestry has been established in collaboration between the Norwegian Forest owners' associations, the State Forest, and the Forestry Extension Institute. The aim is to jointly develop the course content to increase the level of forestry expertise in all stages of forestry. The courses are open for everyone, although the target group are the organisations' employees. The system allows each organisation to make individual additions and adaptations to the courses. Several courses will be presented on the platform, mainly in the topics of silviculture, planting and soil preparation. The course content may be used by all organisations, with their own individual additions and adaptations.

Skogkurs is intended to be the common body for competence in business development and management of forests and other land resources. Through its activities, Skogkurs will contribute to increasing competence among actors in the forestry industry, and disseminate forest and nature knowledge to schools and the public. Skogkurs has 36 member organizations. “Active forestry” is a nationwide offer with courses aimed at forest owners, forestry workers and forestry operators. The courses are also relevant for other groups that use forestry tools, either professionally or in their spare time. The courses provide practical guidance, have a small group size and skilled authorized instructors. These are short, targeted, locally adapted courses that are given close to home or in the workplace. The teaching program “Teach with the Forest” offers lessons from kindergarten to higher learning educator programs.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food contributes significantly to the financing of the activities. About half of the development projects where Skogkurs has project management are partly funded through one or more of the forestry's own funds. Adult education funding, funding from the Norwegian Environment Agency and project funding from other partners also make important financial contributions to Skogkurs' activities.

The qualification course delivers a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS). It is a part-time professional training course designed for company managers and engineers to build up management competences regarding newest economic and engineering procedures and leadership activity competences regarding forestry operations and forestry administration. It amounts to 360 hours or 12 ECTS. Good feedback from former participants about usability of the professional education training.

Forestry crane work is often an isolated and rugged business carried out in challenging temperatures and harsh environments. Hiab’s HiVision™is transforming the working conditions and productivity using virtual reality technology, goggles, external cameras. Precision  and efficient log lifting every time - all from the safety and comfort of the crane cabin. HiVision™ is the first fully digitalised solution that gives a 270 degree view horizontally and 130 degree view vertically using external cameras mounted to the body of the equipment. The virtual reality technology assesses the external working conditions so the operator can stay safely within the truck cabin. Once the ‘target’ has been identified, the system allows the operator to guide the crane using an electronic joystick mounted on each armrest of the truck’s passenger seat. 

Marketing campaign, demand promotion for Swiss Wood through targeted advertising measures (lifelike wooden figures of famous Swiss people, TV-Spots, billboards, documentary film, press releases and events throughout Switzerland). Point out the importance and the economic, ecological and social value of sustainable Swiss forest management. Presenting the diversity of forest-based industries, products and other services for society to the population. Demand enhancement for Swiss Wood and Swiss Wood products. Better impression of the different services provided by the Swiss forest management to the public. Raise awareness for the importance of a sustainable forest management and eligible silvicultural measures in Swiss forests. Making visible the different benefits for society (ex. climate change, CO2-mitigation, provision of drinkable water, protection against natural risks). Addressing the broad population and point out their importance in the context of the Swiss Wood mobilization with the link to the benefits of a sustainable forest management is an important issue to improve the wood mobilization in long-term and foresting the wood value-chain.

The COOPWOOD project aims to foster cross-border cooperation between actors involved in vocational training in the field of wood and its business, allowing a substantial improvement of contents, methods, tools and training offerings that respond more to the demand of its value chain. The objective is simply to improve the qualification levels and skills of the different agents in the wood sector, mainly trainers, students and technicians, in order to facilitate a new revival for a sector in decline, unable to adapt to the new market trends and to the society in general.
Also, the project aims to improve the mobility of students and workers. The improvement of the labor market access, on both border sides, will enable new business, taking advantage of the potential of both sides of the border, creating the most competitive work teams. Another purpose of the COOPWOOD is to generate systems of equivalence between competencies and qualifications and generate tools to direct access the information on employment, the legislation and the relevant sector information; this helps to eliminate the existing barriers and facilitate the mobility of the stakeholders and the collaboration between companies in the cross-border space.

The first training methodology has been developed in the wood sector based on collaborative challenges.
The first transboundary working group on wood training has been established.

The main results will be :
Formation of cross-border network of key actors in wood training for the exchange of potentials.
-Development of new training methodology for Professional Training, 5 training courses on innovative topics, 4 new wood products and 5 software supporting industrial management, in addition to 1 platform on wood and training and 1 employment observatory.
All this aims to promote and facilitate the mobility of at least 580 people.

On the state and cluster level there have been established different portals for private forest owners, to show them the opportunity to contact the local foresters and inform themselves about forest management and all questions to do with forest ownership.
The portals are an approach to reach out to forest owners without professional expertise and any relations to forestry by offering them an easily accessible channel for information.

It is important not just to show the addresses of your personal available state forester and forest owner association but also to include entrepreneurs and other actors in the forest business.

Forest owner portals are an innovative and effective way especially to address the “new forest owners”.