Evidence from Zambia and Tanzania highlights critical competence gaps in forestry VET systems — with important implications for policy and curriculum reform.

Across many vocational education and training (VET) systems, forestry education has traditionally focused on strong technical foundations and established professional practices. However, evidence from recent competence and needs-gap analyses conducted in Tanzania and Zambia suggests that this approach alone is no longer sufficient.

Stakeholder consultations with employers, public authorities, and training institutions reveal a growing mismatch between what forestry graduates are trained for and what the labour market increasingly requires. Employers report that while graduates often possess basic theoretical knowledge, they frequently lack critical competences in digital forestry tools (such as GIS, remote sensing, drones and AI applications), climate-smart forestry, carbon assessment, and transversal skills such as problem-solving, communication and adaptability.

Evidence from the SUSFOR project shows that these challenges are not isolated or country-specific.

Findings from both Zambia and Tanzania point to remarkably similar patterns: curricula in forestry VET institutions are often outdated, in some cases developed more than a decade ago, while expectations placed on graduates have shifted rapidly due to technological, environmental and economic change. In both contexts, stakeholders highlighted that emerging areas such as climate change mitigation, carbon-related competencies and digitalisation are no longer optional additions, but core requirements for employability. These findings are highly relevant beyond the two countries, as similar competence gaps are increasingly reported across forestry VET systems globally.

At the same time, context-specific nuances reinforce the same systemic message.

In Zambia, outdated curricula were frequently identified as a direct barrier to graduate employability, while in Tanzania stakeholders emphasised limited exposure to modern industrial technologies and digital tools during training. Despite these contextual differences, the underlying conclusion was shared: without structured, competence-based curriculum reform supported by appropriate teacher capacity and infrastructure, VET institutions struggle to respond to current and future sector needs. If these gaps remain unaddressed, forestry VET risks producing graduates who are formally qualified but increasingly disconnected from labour-market realities.

An important element of this process was the structured involvement of European VET partners from Estonia and Finland. Rather than transferring ready-made curricula, their role focused on demonstrating how to analyse labour-market needs, structure competence-based curricula and critically assess existing training programmes. This collaborative approach supported institutions in Zambia and Tanzania in building their own capacity for evidence-based curriculum analysis and reform, ensuring that solutions are locally grounded while informed by international practice. This approach demonstrates how international cooperation can support local VET systems without prescribing solutions, but by strengthening their capacity to analyse and respond to change.

This gap is not a marginal issue. In several cases, employers indicated reluctance to recruit graduates who require extensive retraining before becoming productive, particularly in sectors facing rapid technological change and increasing sustainability demands. At the same time, the studies underline that curriculum reform alone is not sufficient if it is not accompanied by investments in teacher capacity, modern training infrastructure and structured cooperation with industry.

From a policy perspective, these findings carry a clear message: curriculum relevance and graduate employability can no longer be addressed through incremental updates or isolated projects. What is needed is a systemic shift towards competence-based education that is regularly informed by labour-market evidence, emerging environmental challenges and technological developments.

Key takeaway for VET policy and system-level decision-makers:

Ensuring the future relevance of forestry VET requires evidence-based, competence-oriented reforms that link curricula, teacher capacity and industry cooperation into a coherent system response — not as an add-on, but as a core policy priority.

The first year of the SUSFOR project focused on one essential question: How can forestry education better respond to real labour market needs?

To address this, the project placed strong emphasis on meaningful cooperation with employers and sector stakeholders in Tanzania and Zambia. Rather than collecting formal or fragmented feedback, the aim was to gain a structured and in-depth understanding of the skills, knowledge and competences required in real forestry work contexts.

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How was employer input gathered?

During the first project year, employers and sector representatives were actively involved through:

• focus group discussions, enabling open dialogue on skills needs and workplace realities
• practical workshops, where forestry occupations and day-to-day work tasks were analysed
• stakeholder mapping, to identify cooperation networks and partnership opportunities
• broader contextual analyses, taking into account economic, social and environmental drivers shaping future skills needs

This approach ensured evidence-based input grounded in real practice rather than isolated opinions.

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What were the concrete results?

As a result of this close cooperation:

• key skills and competences expected by forestry employers were clearly identified
• gaps between education outcomes and labour market expectations were highlighted
• occupational roles were described from an employer perspective
• priority areas for strengthening long-term cooperation between education providers and employers were defined

All collected input was consolidated into a coherent knowledge base that now serves as a practical foundation for further curriculum development and capacity-building activities.

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Why does employer involvement matter?

Employer engagement helps to:

• align learning outcomes with real work processes
• improve graduates’ readiness for employment
• strengthen trust between education providers and the forestry sector
• support the development of a sustainable and future-oriented workforce

The SUSFOR project demonstrates that quality education does not emerge in isolation – it is built in partnership with those shaping the sector on a daily basis.

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Looking ahead

The results of the first project year provide a strong basis for the next steps of the project, including curriculum updates, development of practical cooperation models, and further integration of employer perspectives into forestry education.

Key takeaway for VET and policy stakeholders: SUSFOR demonstrates a recognised need within VET systems to strengthen structured cooperation with employers.

💬 Employer partnerships are not an additional activity – they are a prerequisite for relevant and sustainable education.

Employers as partners: Key outcomes from the first year of the SUSFOR project

At today’s Advisory Board meeting, members listened to an overview of SUSFOR’s goals, quality plans, communication activities, and financial structures and monitoring. The Board expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress so far and underlined the importance of every member’s joint contribution to achieving the objectives.

They highlighted that only through strong collaboration can we ensure that the project goals are achieved and that vocational forestry education moves closer to meeting employers’ expectations as well as climate goals.

We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Edward Kohi from FTI was elected as the first Chair of the Advisory Board and will guide the Board’s activities this year.

The second SUSFOR face-to-face meeting is taking place in Tanzania!
This week, the project partners are gathering at FITI in Moshi for a DACUM workshop focused on improving forestry curricula to better align with labour market needs and learner competencies.

Over the past months, Tanzanian and Zambian partner schools have made great progress – they have mapped their key stakeholders and conducted surveys to understand what kinds of forestry professionals and skills are most needed in their national labour markets.

Based on these insights, a comprehensive gap analysis was carried out to identify mismatches between current curricula and industry expectations — and to prioritise areas for development.

The DACUM workshop brings together not only teachers and curriculum developers, but also employers and industry representatives. Together, they are discussing how to bridge the gaps between learners’ needs, teachers’ methods, and employers’ expectations — one of the key goals of the SUSFOR partnership.

By working hand in hand, we aim to co-create modern, competency-based training programmes that support sustainable forestry education and strengthen the link between education and employment in Tanzania and Zambia. 

Local voices matter: engaging stakeholders in forestry education

In both Zambia and Tanzania, our SUSFOR project partners are currently mapping national forestry stakeholders and planning meetings with key organisations and companies.

Why is this important? Because sustainable forestry education doesn’t happen in isolation. Collaboration with employers, industry bodies, and local institutions ensures that vocational training is relevant, up-to-date, and connected to real-life forest sector needs.

By working with national stakeholders, we can:

* align training with labour market demands;
* improve employment opportunities for graduates;
* promote innovation in forest management;
* support sustainable and climate-resilient practices.

Stay tuned for insights and reflections from these stakeholder dialogues across both countries!

Our 5-day SUSFOR kick-off meeting in Finland brought together project partners from Tanzania, Zambia, Estonia and Finland to build connections, align goals and lay the foundation for meaningful collaboration.

We explored shared values, defined working rhythms, and looked ahead – with plenty of group work, planning sessions and reflection. 

Since forestry education is at the heart of SUSFOR, we also went outdoors: visiting a student forest skills exam, hiking around a lake, and connecting with nature the Finnish way – including hot sauna, cold swims, and grilled sausages over the fire. 

Now we’re ready to take the next steps:
✅ Interviewing employers
✅ Updating forestry curricula
✅ Enhancing teacher competence and training systems

Together, we’re building stronger vocational forestry education in Tanzania and Zambia — inspired by Nordic experience, grounded in local needs.