Sponsor links:

3. Summary of Training Provision Summary

The objective of this survey was to quantify what training is currently available to the woodland industry in the South East Region in order to establish whether supply is meeting demand.
The results of the survey show a wide range of course titles available spread across a relatively disparate group of training providers and over a wide geographical area. No single training provider was offering the comprehensive ‘One-stop shop’ service.
The lack of a cohesive training strategy for the woodland industry in the South-East, shows that consideration should be given to a dedicated resource to co-ordinate training provision and ensure that prospective trainees have easy and cost effective access to suitable training.

4. Conclusion

A further bid should be prepared and submitted to the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP), Vocational Training Scheme (VTS) to develop and set up a woodland training group for the southeast of England to fulfil the needs of this sector.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the woodland workers, who advised on the design and content of the survey questionnaire, to the 61 woodland workers who were able to give the time to complete and return their questionnaires, to the 17 who kindly gave more time to explain their responses over the phone.

Thanks to the team, Hilary Course for her calm and professional approach, to Roger Muhl for his cheerful determination in contacting people who were able to give phone interviews, to Ellie Bolton and Carol Roe for their knowledge and expertise in the woodland training world.

Last but not least to those organisations who have supported this work including High Weald A.O.N.B, Hampshire County Council, West Sussex County Council, Wessex Coppice Group and of course to DEFRA without whose support this important work would never have been completed.

September 2001

Please send any comments to Linda Glynn.