ISA has partnered with the USDA Forest Service on many projects, one of which brought together green industry and non-profit organizations for a ‘workforce summit’ in 2018. ISA convened a knowledgeable group of representatives to discuss the different issues and opportunities involved with ensuring the workforce of tomorrow. The attendees identified several topics that need attention, two of which were 1) the importance of credentialing/badging/recognition in arboricultural learning and, 2) how to ensure parents and young people know that arboriculture and the green industry is a viable option for a career.

There are early youth programs, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, programs and trainings focused on high-school graduates and college-age students, four-year program graduates and otherwise, still, ISA has identified a large gap in programs for adolescents. Adolescents are defined by the World Health Organization as individuals in the 10 to 19 year age group. This project would focus on middle-school/high-school age people in the US who would be interested in tree-related programs, have taken ecology or biology classes that include natural resource assessment and management in the curriculum, have spent a summer(s) working with nurseries, or other organizations responsible for tree planting or tree inventory, or other plant-science focused projects (e.g., girl scouts, 4-h, botanical gardens, and arboreta).

There is a need to recognize the expertise of these adolescents and set them up for future success in addition to keeping them engaged and excited about future arboriculture careers.

View the PDF to learn more about the program and how to submit a proposal.