Shaping future foresters: Assessing employers and recent graduates' perceptions on changing demands in forest sector employment

The question of whether graduates from forest science programmes possess the relevant skills needed for them to succeed in careers in the forest sector is critical for both graduates and the sector in general. Gaps between perceived demands and education have been identified in some past studies. Through interviews with 30 employers from five countries (Brazil, Finland, Germany, South Africa and United States of America), we investigate the changes in the forest sector labour market, including emerging employment fields. We further explore the perceptions of skills required by future forest professionals, drawing on the Work-readiness integrated competence model (WRICM). We compare the perspectives of the employers and those of 39 recent graduates from the same countries obtained from a global survey. Results show that employers anticipate a decrease in the share of employment by 2030 in the fields of forest management, forest industries, wood processing and energy production. Both employers and recent graduates agree on the importance of job specific dimensions. Meta-skill resources (timely application of new knowledge) and intellectual resources (foundation and cognitive) are regarded as important future skills by employers, while recent graduates' emphasis was on intellectual and personality (managing oneself and others) resources dimensions. The results of this study shed light on the perceived gaps in the present and future training needs. Systematically capturing the perceptions of employers and graduates is crucial for informing universities to better prepare graduates for the labour market and match their own interests.