Vermont Tech launches new forestry degree program for fall 2018

24 May 2018

Vermont Technical College is announcing a new degree program that will start in the fall of 2018. The program expands Vermont Tech’s connection to workforce development needs and changes in Vermont. The college’s Certificate in Forestry was broadened and expanded to an Associate of Applied Science in Forestry in direct response to the regulatory changes for the Vermont Forestry license requirements.

“We have had to be nimble to expand our curriculum and respond to the changing regulatory requirements in forestry,” said Vermont Tech President Patricia Moulton. “At Vermont Tech, our longest standing tradition is in adapting to the changing workforce needs of Vermonters since our founding in 1866. In addition to our legacy programs in engineering, agriculture, manufacturing, construction and nursing, our new Fall 2018 program offers students widely applicable technical skills that are aligned with state licensing requirements in forestry,” Moulton said.

In a recent study by the North East State Foresters Association,The Economic Importance of Vermont’s Forest-Based Economy, the Vermont landscape was identified as 78% forested land, or over 4.5M acres. More than 80% of that land is owned by individuals and families with only 19% attributed to public lands. Their summary of the forest industry in Vermont accounts for over 6,600 full-time equivalent workers in forest products, maple and Christmas tree sectors, which generate over $861 million in annual sales.

“Vermont’s forestry industry provides a diverse variety of job opportunities,” said Forestry Program Director, Molly Willard. “The associate degree not only prepares graduates for Vermont licensure as a Forester, but also provides the deep understanding of wood for practical use in logging, sugaring, and wood-product manufacturing,” added Willard. The two-year Associate of Applied Science program will be offered at the Randolph campus with a program pathway articulation agreement with the University of Vermont, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Forestry.

Vermont Tech is now recruiting prospective students for fall enrollment for the new Forestry degree program. There is no application deadline. Students from high school-level centers for technology environmental science programs are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

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About Vermont Tech – Vermont Technical College is a leading public college with a mission of applied education and student-centeredness. One of the four institutions of the Vermont State Colleges System, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond at its residential campuses in Williston and Randolph Center, regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington, and at six nursing sites located throughout the state. Vermont Tech features state-of-the-art laboratory experience and a highly personalized classroom and student-life experience. All of our programs utilize a technological educational component, from the simulators used by our nursing program around the state, to manufacturing laboratories in Randolph Center and Williston. Our academic programs encompass a wide range of engineering technology, agricultural, health, and business fields that are vital to producing the knowledgeable workers needed most by employers in the state and in the region.  www.vtc.edu.