Project Description
This project creates a virtual library and catalogue that houses course content, training materials, assessment resources, and other training infrastructure related to the forestry and wood products industry.
The virtual library will provide easy access to a wide range of educational materials, including those developed through the Forestry Workforce Training Program.
Timeline
January 2025 – June 2026
Lead Organisation
Led and delivered by ForestWorks, with support from specialist partners.
Contact
Anthony Walsh
Workforce Development & Projects Manager
awalsh@forestworks.com.au
ForestEdu Library: A Central Hub for Industry Learning and Collaboration
ForestWorks is developing the ForestEdu Library, an online hub for high-quality training resources supporting professional learning across the forest, wood, and paper industries. The Library will sit within ForestEdu, a central education platform that connects people, content, and insights to lift training quality and access across the sector.
How ForestEdu Fits Together
ForestEdu integrates digital products developed under this and related projects as follows:
ForestEdu Library Key Objectives
Platform Selection
After reviewing comparable solutions, ForestEdu will use Moodle LMS with WordPress for content management. This combination is widely adopted, flexible, and reliable, offering:
Data Security and Privacy
Prototypes and Implementation Testing
Four prototype Moodle platforms have been developed and are undergoing testing. The Library will support remote sharing of courses via:
Together, these enable centrally maintained content to update automatically across participating provider systems.
ForestEdu Library
Training resources in one place
Project 21 developed the ForestEdu Library, a virtual library and searchable catalogue of training and workforce development resources for Australia’s forestry and wood products industries.
The Library brings together training materials, assessment resources, industry guides, best-practice information and related resources in one structured online environment. It gives learners, employers, and training providers a clearer, more efficient way to find and access sector-specific information.
The industry need
The forestry and wood products industries have a wide range of valuable training and workforce development resources. However, these resources are often spread across different organisations, websites, and systems, making them difficult for learners, employers, and training providers to locate and use. The industry needed a structured platform that could make resources easier to discover.
The project response
Project 21 responded by developing a secure, searchable and scalable library within ForestEdu. Built on a WordPress and Moodle foundation, the platform can support a growing collection of resources and future connections with participating learning management systems.
Part of the ForestEdu platform
The ForestEdu Training Demand Library is one of the three integrated ForestEdu services:
- ForestEdu Network
- Forestedu Library
- ForestEdu Training Demand Tracker.
These services work together to strengthen sector connections, align training offerings with demand, and prioritise training resources.
How the ForestEdu Library works
Resources are uploaded and reviewed before being classified using consistent categories, tags and access settings. The Library administrators then publish approved materials and make them available to relevant users.
This approach helps users find resources through structured browsing and search, while also giving administrators greater control over quality, access, currency and ongoing maintenance.
The Library’s four core platform capabilities are:
1. Search and classification: Structured tags and filters improve the discoverability of training, assessment, industry guidance and best-practice resources.
2. Role-based pathways: Learners, training providers, employers and administrators receive access appropriate to their needs.
3. Secure and accessible use: Hosting, encryption, login controls and compatibility across commonly used devices support reliable access.
4. Scalable delivery: The platform provides a foundation for central resource management, future growth and integration with provider systems
Who the Library supports
Learners: Learners can access sector-specific learning and development materials through a single, organised environment. Improved search and classification help users identify resources relevant to their roles, skills and development needs.
Registered Training Organisations: Registered Training Organisations can access training, assessment and validation resources appropriate to their role. Centralised updates and controlled access also support more consistent management and use of provider resources.
Employers: Employers can use curated industry resources to support workforce planning, employee development and workplace capability. The Library provides a central entry point for relevant guidance, training and best-practice information.
ForestEdu administrators: Administrators can manage user access, publishing workflows, content classification and platform performance. This supports effective governance and helps keep resources current, relevant and accessible.
Building an enduring industry resource
Project 21 transformed the concept of an industry resource repository into a practical digital library platform.
Learning and assessment resources
By June 2026, the ForestEdu Library hosted digital resources developed through Project 19 (Developing Training Materials for Industry Micro-Credentials and Traineeships) and Project 20 (Integrating Training Materials into Online Learning Systems) for more than 100 units of competency. A total of 247 learning and assessment resources have been released, with a substantial pipeline of additional materials undergoing quality assurance and approval before publication. Given the volume of content, resource releases were expected to continue beyond June 2026.
Resources available through the Library include:
- Assessment kits
- Interactive e-learning
- Learner guides
- Mapping documentation
- Moodle-compatible learning and assessment resources.
In addition to the materials developed through Projects 19 and 20, the ForestEdu Library also hosts resources created through other projects across the program.
Learning videos
The ForestEdu Library includes nine learning videos developed under Project 4, Financial Support Model, Resources and Pilots to Upskill Workplace Trainers and RTO Staff, to support new workplace trainers and instructors. Additional videos are planned to further support the ongoing professional development of trainers and assessors across the industry.
Mentoring program resources
Resources developed under Project 17, Mentoring Program for Women in the Industry, are now available through the ForestEdu Library. These resources can support industry organisations seeking to implement similar mentoring programs and can be accessed under the resource category: Mentoring Program for Women.
Industry guides and templates
The ForestEdu Library also provides access to a range of practical industry guides, including:
- Gender and Culturally Inclusive Training in the Forest, Paper and Wood Products Industry, developed under Project 15, Supporting Women and Gender Diversity: Guidance for Training Developers and Trainers
- Skills recognition guide, developed under Project 5, RPL, RCC and Hybrid Pathways: Flexible and Cost-Effective Training and Assessment Models
Together, these resources expand the range of practical, industry-relevant materials available through the ForestEdu Library. They support consistent training delivery, assessment practices and workforce capability development across the industry.
Through active stewardship, rigorous content management, and continued integration with ForestEdu services, the Library is well positioned to provide long-term value to learners, employers, training providers, and the broader forestry, paper and wood products industry.
The ForestEdu Library is accessible through the ForestEdu platform.
ForestEdu is a central platform for accessing industry-specific training resources, strengthening professional networks, and addressing workforce capability needs across the forest, wood, and paper sectors. The platform was developed for learners, employers, and training providers as part of the Forestry Workforce Training Program, which is funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
