The preparedness of entry-level natural resource professionals in the forest service

摘要

Placement of qualified graduates from academic institutions into available entry-level jobs in the Forest Service continues to be a challenge. The personnel needs of the Forest Service are changing at a faster rate than natural resource schools canshift their curricula. There also seems to be an inherent tendency for schools to maintain the traditional programs of focusing on functional expertise. We in the Forest Service have contributed to this partial disconnection by not communicating our needs in a definite way. Also, we have not been timely with communication of our needs. Functional expertise is compatible with entry-level needs of the Forest Service. Graduates applying for jobs requiring particular knowledge, such as silviculture, biology, and ecology, should be sufficiently educated in these fields. After all, any employer would expect newly hired employees to have the basic skills for which they were hired. However, now there are other attributes sought after that if present will assure that the employee will have a higher likelihood of success. Also, some jobs require skills and knowledge not previously needed in the Forest Service.