More than 4500 applications were received over just three days when the latest round of the Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund opened at the end of July. The fund covers training costs for short, practical forestry and arboriculture courses, encouraging people living or working in England to acquire new or upgrade existing skills.
EMB administers the fund on behalf of the Forestry Commission, working with training providers in England, Scotland and Wales. For financial year 2024/25 the fund has allocated more than £2.4m to support people who want to develop a career in forestry or arboriculture, equipping them to look after the thousands of trees being planted as part of the England Trees Action Plan.
For the latest round of funding, eligible courses were expanded to include silviculture, the care and cultivation of woodlands. The funded training will take place throughout the year at a variety of locations ensuring people with the right skills are available nation-wide. The fund comes under the umbrella of the £640m Climate for Nature Fund which aims to expand and enhance woodland cover.