An Outline of Professional and Non-Professional Forestry Training in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany and France

Forestry training programs, particularly non-professional, are described on the basis of first-hand knowledge. Countries covered in this summary are Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany and France.Non-professional forest training policy, especially in Norway, Sweden and West Germany, commonly included a systematic mix of practical training or apprenticeship and preparatory courses at various stages in the preliminaries leading to entrance to a general diploma technical course. During most diploma courses systematic supervised practice forms an important part of the courses. After graduation, opportunities are provided to the non-professional graduates for further post-graduate specialized or refresher courses at times and places as selected, especially in Norway, Sweden and West Germany.It was also observed that non-professional forestry training was carried out at special schools, many of which were residential. Most of these schools had the use of adjoining or nearby forest lands which provided a place for practical field instruction which formed an important part of the curriculum. Usually, the course of study for forest technicians was one-quarter theory and three-quarters practical.Professional forestry training placed emphasis on basic scientific knowledge, rather than on techniques, and field work during the course of study was often on a weekly basis, in some instances. The training is generalized rather than specialized and the interrelations between disciplines is stressed. However, for the graduate forester there were few extension courses available.