The forestry industry is one of the major industrial sectors in British Columbia and makes a significant contribution to the economic base and community structure of the province. Despite this, the industry does not appear to possess a well-developed system or culture of continuous learning and upgrading of its workers’ skills and knowledge. We examined specific instances of forestry-related workplace education programs – specifically those identified as being somehow successful or noteworthy – in order to develop an understanding of the specific conditions within which workplace education for forest workers takes place, and the factors which contribute to program effectiveness. Our research design adopted a two-stage approach. Stage I was a survey of the range and character of programs available to workers within the forestry industry. Stage II consisted of case studies of three programs located in different regions of the province – the Forest Training Centre in Smithers, the TDI Learning Centre in Mackenzie, and the Value-Added Skills Centre in Abbotsford.

We found that several curricular and delivery factors characterized effective workplace educational programs: pedagogical orientation, relevancy, and technology. It is important to have a certain kind of pedagogical orientation toward forest workers that pays attention to the adult learner. Instructors and course planners at all three sites were very aware that the students who came to their programs were mature adults who had lives, responsibilities, and interests beyond the classroom. These people are adults and function best in a situation where they are treated accordingly, rather than the more traditional teacher/student relationship.

Further, and related to pedagogical orientation, is the notion that these training programs needed to have a pragmatic core, transparent to workers. Forest workers expect their education to be directly relevant to their work and their lives, and for there to be some tangible recognition and reward provided at the end. Thus, a further reflection of the sites’ concern with attention to the adult learner was relevancy. Instructors and course planners at all three sites were very attentive to the concern that course material be as relevant as possible. Another common feature is certification or, in more common parlance, what people at the different sites referred to as “getting a ticket.” At all three sites, there was a common perception that one important motivating factor for students was the prospect of obtaining some form of formal certification for their studies.

While in some important ways technology may have served to attract forest workers to the three sites, matters of delivery did not focus on the technologies themselves but on the human dimension of teaching and learning. All three programs emphasised the importance of face to face and hands-on learning. Although opportunities for computer-based instruction were readily available, instructors at all the sites stressed the importance of classroom interaction for ensuring relevancy and personal guidance. Learners, too, appreciated the social nature of the learning environment, commenting on the value of collegial interaction as an important source of support. Another important dimension of interactive delivery was the provision for “structured classes”. In other words, it was not just the social and practical aspects of classroom and hands-on work that mattered, but also the establishment of a sense of progress and continuity.

Two specific, contextual, factors are particularly crucial to the future success of forest worker training programs: the presence of a strong and supportive advisory committee and the necessity of adequate and sustained funding. Those programs that could rely on a broadly based advisory committee with representation from all stakeholder groups were both more resilient and more flexible. Further, if that representation included a union presence, then the program was assured strong support within the industry and could draw upon the wealth of educational resources and perspectives which unions have long cultivated.

Financial considerations also fundamentally affect the viability of training programs. Training is increasingly seen as a public policy, as well as an educational issue. Hence, the success of workplace education programming is often contingent upon public policy decisions. Here, we must question the viability of basing long term educational planning on short term economic considerations. If the concept of “lifelong learning” is to be more than rhetoric, piecemeal approaches, based apparently on the economic state of the industry, to program financing to be re-examined. This is particularly important for nonunion and single resource based communities, where economic effects tend to be felt more dramatically. While it is clear that the public purse is not bottomless and the constraints on funding for educational programs are widespread, it is unlikely for even the most successful programs to thrive under provisional and uncertain funding arrangements.