18 May 2026
Embedding Inclusion in Training
Workforce challenges in the forest and wood products industry are not just related to skills. They are also about who can access training, participate fully and see a future in the industry.
To help address this, ForestWorks has developed a new guide under the Forestry Workforce Training Program: Gender and Culturally Inclusive Training in the Forest, Paper and Wood Products Industry. This guide provides practical tools that help course designers, resource creators, trainers, assessors and training package developers make training more inclusive and accessible for underrepresented learners.
The guide recognises a simple but critical truth: women and First Nations participation in the industry workforce is below the average for similar industries, with many employers lacking practices, programs, or initiatives to encourage their participation and professional development. Similarly, training systems, particularly in industries that have long been male dominant, have traditionally been built around those established cohorts. This has created unintentional barriers for underrepresented groups.
Rather than treating inclusion as an add-on, this guide puts it at the heart of training design.
Moving Beyond Participation to Inclusion
What sets this guide apart is its practical focus. It provides concrete tools, checklists and recommendations that can be applied in real training and assessment settings.
These include considering some key factors when writing, delivering and assessing training such as using gender-neutral language in materials, improving representation in case studies and visuals, and adopting flexible and accessible delivery approaches for training and assessment. Consideration is also made to cultural and interpersonal dynamics in the learning environment in which training is being delivered and embedding inclusion-related skills into training and assessment.
These changes are significant and directly influence learner confidence, engagement and completion.
Practical Changes That Make a Difference
One of the strengths of the guide is how it translates inclusion into clear, actionable adjustments that trainers can put into place immediately.
For example, inclusive training design might involve:
• Using real-world examples that reflect diverse roles and experiences
• Avoiding assumptions about prior knowledge or physical capability
• Creating psychologically safe environments where all learners feel respected
• Adapting delivery to accommodate different learning styles and life circumstances.
Another standout feature is that the guide goes further by addressing cultural awareness, particularly in relation to First Nations communities, and inclusion more broadly. It includes guidance on anti-racism, inclusive leadership, cultural load, cultural concepts of time, and the importance of a diverse training workforce.
These changes support not only women and gender-diverse learners, but all participants, improving the overall quality of the training and inclusivity skills within the industry workforce. The guide also highlights the importance of strong communication, respectful behaviours and inclusive facilitation in creating effective learning environments, including in the workplace.
Building Capability Across the System
The guide is intended to help organisations move from good intent to practical action. It provides a clear starting point for reviewing existing training materials, delivery methods and assessment approaches, and for identifying where more inclusive practice can be embedded.
The guide isn’t designed to be a one-off resource. It sits within a broader program of work to strengthen workforce diversity across the industry, alongside initiatives such as mentoring programs and targeted training pathways for women.
Small but deliberate improvements in language, representation, accessibility, flexibility and assessment practice can make training more inclusive and more effective. The guide gives industry participants a practical framework for making those improvements.
Importantly, the guide is already showing value in practice. TAFE Gippsland has applied several of its recommendations in the Forestry Workforce Training Program pilot activity, including adopting gender-neutral language, more diverse visual representation, flexible and accessible delivery, and stronger mentoring and peer support. Skills Insight Jobs and Skills Council has also provided positive feedback on the guide’s quality, practical value and usefulness.
The guidance materials were developed through consultation and testing with trainers and industry stakeholders, ensuring they reflect how they will be used in real settings and meet the needs of industry.
A Stronger, More Sustainable Workforce
Embedding inclusive training in the sector can result in higher completion rates, greater workforce participation, improved retention of underrepresented groups and safer, more respectful workplaces.
In an industry facing ongoing workforce shortages and evolving skills demands, these outcomes are critical.
More broadly, the guide signals a shift in how the industry approaches workforce development, recognising that diversity is a driver of capability, productivity and long-term sustainability.
Gender and Culturally Inclusive Training in the Forest, Paper and Wood Products Industry Guide
These initiatives have been funded by the Australian Government under the Forestry Workforce Training Program (FWTP).
Want more updates?
See the FWTP news page for the latest news articles and milestone updates from the program.
