STRENGTHENING THE PATHWAY
A framework for workforce development
Erin Feeney
WFCA Pathways Program Coordinator
January 2024
SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM
“Workforce development from the societal centric perspective is defined as initiatives that educate and train individuals to meet the needs of current and future business and industry in order to maintain a sustainable competitive economic environment.”
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
The goal of this program is to strengthen pathways into FieldSTEM/Forestry higher education, technical training, and, ultimately, industry careers for grade 12 and beyond.
WFCA will collaborate with partners to develop the FieldSTEM workforce by creating resources that increase awareness, access, and stepping stones to well-paying, locally available careers in natural resources fields, especially forestry.
GOALS OF THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM:
Reverse declining interest in Forestry
Support Career Connect WA efforts to create forestry career launch programs
Streamline access to informational resources
Increase and diversify opportunities for education and training
Grow awareness about the multitude of attainable, well-paying, locally available job options for youth and those looking for a rewarding career change
WHY
DO WE NEED THIS?
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Current labor shortages
Predicted future labor shortages
Rural depopulation / aging rural communities
Barriers to entry
Higher education model has changed
Public misunderstands what it means to work in Forestry Forestry often not thought of as a “Green” career
Many employers within Forestry and the greater Natural Resources sector are finding it hard to fill job openings.
A significant portion of these jobs pay at least a living or family wage and may not require higher education.
As Washington, the PNW, and US transition to a Green Economy, growth is expected in these sectors and the workforce needs to be developed now to meet future needs.
Declining and aging professional demographics is a concernthere are not enough qualified workers to fill current openings let alone future FieldSTEM/Green Economy job openings.
Not enough recruitment into certain fields can have compounding effects on other sectors (surveying/forestry example).
As a professional association, WFCA is concerned with providing resources and opportunities for the continuing education and professional development of foresters and those involved with forest management.
WFCA can only do this work if there are people in the pipeline coming up.
THE DECLINE OF FORESTRY ENROLLMENT
“Forestry enrollment in North America reached peak levels of the 1970's, and colleges expanded their programs to fill a perceived need. Then numbers of college-age young people began to decline in the 80's, as has an interest in forestry, leaving unfilled capacity in forestry colleges across the United States. Environmental science, biology, and policy studies seem more attractive to young people today. Yet broadening forestry curricula into natural resources management programs incorporating these fields of study, and substituting more policy and social sciences for some traditional forestry courses, has not reversed the trend. Neither has an easing of the requirements for graduation.
Perhaps the slide in forestry school enrollment mirrors the declining reputation of forestry in general. A reversal may depend on a major shift in attitudes of society about the importance of forests and the people who manage them. ”
- Ralph Nyland, The decline in forestry education enrollment
RURAL COMMUNITIES
Many FieldSTEM jobs are located in remote/rural areas.
One factor that may be contributing to unfilled forestry/natural resources openings is that there aren’t enough people living in these rural communities, let alone “qualified” workers. Rural communities have been depopulating due to lack of economic opportunity (or perceived lack), as well as lack of affordable housing and social services. This is a self-perpetuating cycle.
Rural to urban migration (brain drain / youth drain) leaving rural areas for the city
Lack of awareness around locally available, well-paying (FieldSTEM) jobs in rural communities
BARRIERS TO ENTRY
Educators and young people may lack awareness of FieldSTEM careers, especially those from urban settings or minority backgrounds
Certain individuals are unable/unwilling to pursue an expensive university education and think that they may not be able to pursue these careers
Lack of access/connection to the outdoors - Growing problem with urbanization
Lack of support/mentorship - Do not see others like them going into these fields
ADDRESS CAREER AWARENESS AS AN EQUITY ISSUE
From Pacific Education Institute:
“This approach is particularly impactful for those students who may not have opportunities to learn about a broad range of career opportunities through family and social contacts but who benefit from daily contact with science teachers who can provide real-world examples of STEM careers in their own communities.
One interviewee reflected that learning about FieldSTEM careers allows districts to connect with rural communities and supports the teachers in ‘engaging the traditionally unengaged.’”
“One reason why the natural resource industry is largely dominated by white individuals is that people of color have not had a close and historical relationship with the outdoors. Slavery, racial prejudice and personal safety, although seemingly separate from environmental issues, are highly interrelated with why African Americans lack a connection to the land. Stemming from the historical enslavement of their people, African Americans have never felt a sense of ownership of this country. Even after slavery was abolished, African Americans were not allowed to visit national parks and other public lands until after the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Therefore, the parents and grandparents of today’s generation had no experiences in these natural areas to pass on. In addition, key people of the conservation movement – from Teddy Roosevelt to Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson and John Muir
– are white figures that do not provide a role model of a similar background to people of color. All of these factors together have led to an African American culture where spending time outdoors is not a mainstream activity”
- A How-To Guide for Pursuing a Career in Natural Resources
There is a lack of awareness about what jobs are out there, what they are like day-to-day, how much they pay, and who should/can be pursuing them.
From Pacific Education Institute Learning Brief:
“I learned a lot about what types of careers are found working for Tacoma Light that I did not know existed in our back yard.”
“It surprised me that a person without a bachelor’s degree could become a manager of a division in the larvae hatchery as long as they worked hard, were successful in the organism that they were raising, and supervised employees in a positive and motivational manner.”
“Even kids who go away to college often want to come back. A lot of kids like our area, but they don’t think there are jobs per se here.”
“Among other “aha” learnings were that there are entry-level positions that require only a high school diploma yet offer opportunities for inhouse training and advancement”
HIGHER EDUCATION NOT CUTTING IT
The higher education model has changed and isn’t properly supporting
FieldSTEM professions
Transition away from technical towards general environmental studies
Decreasing quality of technical forestry/natural resources education from large universities
Young people are increasingly hesitant of 4-year degree debt burden
“Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after returning to in-person classes” - Fortune
There are good paying jobs in Forestry and related industries that don’t require an expensive 4-year degree. Need to get the word out early before students hit the college path.
Need to create stepping stones to get young people into these jobs, that may include piecemeal higher education
Industry-Recognized Credential (IRC)
Micro-credentials
AAS degrees that fully qualify students to work
PUBLIC IMAGE ISSUES
NEED TO OVERCOME
Mainstream culture - Bachelors degree is required to be successful and make money
Work smarter not harder mentality steers youth away from
FieldSTEM jobs, which may be perceived as “blue collar” or manual labor
Reductionist view of climate change sees all natural resource extraction as inherently negative
Current : “Save a tree” = Cutting down trees is bad
Change to: Managed forests are a climate solution Forestry is critical to WA Green
Economy
ROADMAP TO A GREEN ECONOMY
Excerpts from Pacific Education Institute’s Educating for A Green Economy Project (EGE) Executive Summary:
The Washington economy was built on forestry, fishing, agriculture and hydroelectric power, all sectors that currently utilize renewable natural resources, and are thus part of the green economy. With increasing market demand for sustainable products and services, these industries must take into consideration environmental and societal needs to remain relevant. Green economy jobs are forecast to increase and will require new and different skill sets as identified by employers.
The demand for workers with the appropriate skill sets for green jobs exceeds the supply of potential employees. Unfortunately, green jobs often are not classified as green jobs. How jobs are classified matters because job data are often used to make workforce development funding decisions at the state and local level. There are several reasons why the current job data collected in Washington is insufficient. One of the most striking is that current coding systems make it difficult to group jobs in categories that are meaningful for decision makers. In addition to coding considerations, many green jobs do not show up as “high demand,” there is little accounting for emerging job trends, expected retirements, and job innovation, which would create more effective decision making. EGE is also proposing the acknowledgment of “critical demand” jobs and inclusion of this designation to help workforce development serve local employment needs
Students in Washington now begin in middle school to develop High School and Beyond Plans and portfolios. This is an opportunity to engage career counselors in green economy job communications and networking to ensure they are aware of green careers.
CLASSIFICATION IS AN ISSUE
How Forestry jobs are classified by WA state, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, etc… matters to how we project trends and growth. Traditional STEM programs (and advocates) currently focus too much on tech industry.
FieldSTEM Careers in Washington State - According to Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce: Total FieldSTEM Jobs: 217,795. Percent of all WA Jobs: 6.2%
From PEI’s FieldSTEM Careers in Washington State:
“There are subtle but important distinctions between the CEW STEM occupation and the PEI FieldSTEM occupation. Firstly, while CEW omits occupations in fields that are considered social sciences, PEI includes these occupations. Such workers might include Urban and Regional Planners, Geographers, and Archaeologists. Second and perhaps crucially, PEI includes Occupational Group 45: Farming, Fishing, and Forestry. These jobs are very rarely considered STEM, and CEW even classifies them as “blue collar”. While it is true that physical labor is a component of this work, and also that educational expectations might be lower in these fields, it is perhaps too often neglected that these occupations provide pathways to other STEM careers, and in many cases employ STEM skills themselves. For instance, Conservation Scientists and Foresters are considered Life Scientists (widely included in STEM), while Forest and Conservation Workers are considered Farming, Fishing, and Forestry occupations. These jobs require STEM skills, and almost certainly provide a pathway to Life Science careers. Likewise, educational programs that improve FieldSTEM expertise may provide an accelerated route for students in rural areas of Washington (outside of Seattle) to access Life Science careers”.
STRATEGY TO MOVE FORWARD
AWARENESS
Raise awareness of Forestry/FieldSTEM career options
Increase outreach efforts, both in-person and on social media
Career roadmap infographics
Forestry career awareness information and resources for educators, counselors, families, and the general public
Provide forestry experiences at every age
ACCESS
Increase opportunities for youth to access field trips, career speakers, internships, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and locally-available education/training opportunities, particularly for underserved communities, e.g. rural, tribal, & urban.
Schools are asking for career speakers and field trips! Transportation, funding, and available sites/connections are biggest challenges for schools
Industry staff (time) limitations and liability issues at worksites are biggest challenges on our end
CONNECT
Current forestry career resources are like an online maze.
Simplify the informational landscape by making WFCA a hub/clearinghouse of forestry career-related knowledge for western North America.
One-stop shop for industry, professionals, educators, and students looking for any/all resources related to professional & career development, as well as outreach opportunities.
PUBLIC IMAGE
Work to rebrand Forestry, Forest Products, and Natural Resources Management as cutting-edge, green, inclusive, and sustainable.
Capitalize on trend away from 4-year degrees/debt by marketing these sectors as being easily accessible with alternative educational requirements and/or on-the-job training opportunities.
Highlight myriad positives about Forestry-related careers“Make the outdoors your office”
IDEAS
Remove low-hanging barriers of entry
1. Agriculture & Natural Resource Center of Excellence industry surveys
2. ANR Forestry and Forest Products - Workforce Development Survey
a. ANR Forestry and Forest Products - Career Connected Learning Survey b. Industry recognized “Certificate of Competency”, micro-credentials
3. Increase career awareness
4. Increased presence at career fairs and outreach events
a. Career awareness resources
b. Career awareness course or program for counselors
c. Career pathways roadmaps
d. Career camps
e. PNW FieldSTEM Pathways Coalition / Working Group
5. Co-op apprenticeship program (akin to AJAC)
a.
b.
Joint efforts at career fairs
IDEAS FOR INDUSTRY
Remove barriers on applications
Washington State's ban-the-box law
Rethink whether job actually needs bachelors degree
Consider On-the-job training
Create industry-recognized forestry credential
Create opportunities for justice-involved communities
Market jobs postings in Spanish, where appropriate
Provide preferential hiring to those with Americorps and/or
Conservation Corps service
Write it into job postings
Preferential hiring for those having taken PEI’s YESS program or forestry frameworks in high school
Create career lattice rather than ladder to retain young talent
CAREER LATTICE
INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATE
What is an industry-recognized credential?
An industry-recognized credential is a verification of an individual’s qualification or competence. A third party with authority (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010) issues a credential. Industry-recognized credentials are valued in the labor market and are a validation of knowledge and skill. They can take many forms, including certifications, certificates, and licenses.
Why should students earn industry-recognized credentials?
In addition to helping students meet graduation requirements, earning an industryrecognized credential allows students to learn about a particular skill set or job and demonstrate mastery of skills. Students learn more deeply by practicing and applying their knowledge through work and employment experiences They learn about workplace expectation and professional skills needed for employment, as well as learning about career pathways. Industry-recognized credentials provide an opportunity to earn a livable wage while pursuing additional education. Some industry-recognized credentials can be used as evidence of prior learning and can be awarded college credit.
NEXT STEPS
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
How do we keep moving forward?
Regularly scheduled industry workforce development conversations
Create long-term project timelines, fully lay out necessary steps, & agree on deliverables
Monitor future Career Connect WA grant funding cycles
MOUs for potential partnerships
Increase outreach efforts, WFCA here to support you with resources, coordination, or research opportunities
