Call4Forest has two specific objectives: OBJ1 Promote the recruitment of highly qualified trainers in forestry vocational training centers: Facilitate access for professionals in the sector to the vocational training corps, in order to increase the number of qualified trainers available and improve the quality and performance of vocational training (through greater availability of training courses, better adaptability to the professional world, ratios, etc.). OBJ2: Improve the quality of vocational training programs and courses in order to facilitate the mobility of EU workers through adequate training programs that are better adapted to territorial contexts and the needs of the EU labor market: Strengthen the capacities of current and future trainers by providing them with pedagogical, technical, and practical tools to (i) adapt to different types of learners and territorial contexts, and (ii) better take into account ecological and digital transitions, as well as the dimensions of inclusion and diversity.
The EU has identified rural depopulation as one of the main challenges of the 21st century. Forests are essential economic resources in European rural areas, as well as serving as a buffer for other land uses and contributing to the fight against climate change. This is why sustainable forest management and exploitation are of paramount importance. Paradoxically, as forests are located in sparsely populated areas, the forestry sector faces a shortage of skilled workers, particularly specialized technicians. French and Spanish vocational forestry training centers are finding it difficult to recruit trainers with the required professional experience and skills. In France, many professionals in the sector are not authorized to provide regulated training, which requires a bachelor's degree. In Spain, although there are training courses for underqualified vocational training teachers, these are limited to specific specializations and their technical skills are not assessed.