The forest industry in Kentucky is facing many challenges, including a decreasing workforce. The forest industry workforce is decreasing due to generational retirement, lack of recruitment, and lack of access to training opportunities.

The ForestryWorks Forest Worker Certificate Program was created to promote awareness of and provide educational training for the forest industry. The Forest Worker Certificate Program includes 10 training modules that cover a wide range of topics about forestry. High school teachers can complete the 10 modules and exam to become certified to teach the curriculum in their classrooms. We are also hosting the 10 modules for County Agriculture and 4H agents to become certified instructors and add forestry knowledge statewide.

In addition to the curriculum and technical resources we hosted the inaugural ForestryWorks of Kentucky Field Course in June 2025 as an opportunity for high school students to become Certified Forest Workers in an immersive environment. The week-long field course took place at Robinson Forest. Forestry professionals from Kentucky served as the instructors for the field course, which gave the students an opportunity to connect with and learn from individuals in different forestry career fields. Each day of the field course, the students received in-classroom and in-field instruction for each of the 10 training modules. In-field instruction included identifying and measuring trees, using increment borers, prescribed burning, surveying wildlife, observing a logging demonstration, grading timber, and learning forest stand improvement methods. Most of the instruction took place at Robinson Forest, but the students also visited Powell Valley Millwork CMPC and the Robinson Wood Center to learn the wood manufacturing side of the industry.

Students had the opportunity to take the Forest Worker Certification Exam at the end of the field course. All 7 students passed the exam and became ForestryWorks Certified Forest Workers. Students chose forestry careers that they became interested in over the course of the week, and they presented their careers to their parents. With the ForestryWorks certification and the knowledge gained during the field course, the students were set up to pursue careers in the forest industry.

Accomplishments and Impacts of ForestryWorks of KY 2025

· Teachers registered for the Forest Worker Certificate Program training: 29

· Teachers who have passed the certification exam: 11

· Outreach events: 10; total number of people reached: 1,110

· Field Course: 7 students

· Teacher Field Days: 2; total number of teachers: 8