Project Description
This project establishes and trials a national virtual network to support workforce development across Australia’s forestry and timber products industry. The network will operate as a professional hub where industry participants connect, learn, collaborate, share resources, and engage in ongoing training and development.
By bringing practitioners together to discuss current initiatives, projects, and good practices, the network will strengthen knowledge exchange and help address shared industry challenges.
Timeline
Lead Organisation
Contact
Anthony Walsh
Workforce Development & Projects Manager
awalsh@forestworks.com.au
ForestEdu Network – Connecting Forestry People
Project 6 established the ForestEdu Network as a national virtual community to connect people from the forestry, forest products, and pulp and paper sectors across Australia. It gives industry professionals a shared online space to connect, learn, collaborate, exchange resources and support ongoing training activity.
The industry challenge
A geographically dispersed sector needs practical ways for professionals, trainers, providers and project participants to stay connected, share knowledge and continue workforce development activity beyond individual projects and events.
The project response
A national online community of practice within ForestEdu, designed around group discussion, private messaging, document sharing and a single account across the wider ForestEdu ecosystem.
How the ForestEdu Network works
The ForestEdu Network is more than an online forum. Facilitated groups, practical discussion prompts, resource sharing and partner-led activities help turn online connections into collaboration, learning and workforce development outcomes.
Part of the ForestEdu platform
The ForestEdu Network is one of several integrated ForestEdu services. These services work together to strengthen sector connections, align training offerings with demand, and prioritise training resources.
Core features
Group discussions
Forums support focused discussion within project, professional, cohort and community-of-practice groups.
Direct connections
Private messaging enables members to connect and continue conversations outside group posts.
Resource exchange
Members can upload and share documents, ideas, and practical information that support knowledge sharing.
Integrated access
The platform supports a single account and sign-on across ForestEdu services.
Early proof of concept
The pilot demonstrated national reach, stable core membership and growing use of the wider ForestEdu platform. It also tested the Network group structures and facilitation arrangements needed for longer-term operation.
The pilot also revealed that a digital network creates access but active coordination and partner-led facilitation create participant and workforce value.
- Seven initial groups were launched in June 2025. Five aimed to support FWTP project discussions, one focused on cultural and workforce diversity, and one on sector-wide workforce training and education.
- Two profession-based groups followed. The Young Forestry Professionals Network and Timber Systems Designers Networking Forum were added in December 2025.
The model can expand. The platform structure supports new communities with a clear purpose, audience, and facilitator.
Who the ForestEdu Network supports
Industry professionals
National peer and professional connection
Trainers and assessors
Practice exchange and provider collaboration
Profession and cohort networks
Focused communities with shared interests
Project partners and participants
Project group collaboration
Benefits for users
For industry, the ForestEdu Network provides:
- Cross-regional access by connecting a dispersed workforce through one virtual environment.
- Professional networks for early-career professionals and specialist cohorts.
- Collaborative problem-solving through focused discussions about shared workforce challenges.
For training providers, the ForestEdu Network provides:
- National connections between registered training organisation trainers and assessors, industry professionals and peers.
- Resource sharing across providers, including practical approaches, documents and ideas.
- Practitioner-led facilitation of groups focused on specialist practice areas.
Professional development and training
The ForestEdu Network supports:
- Practice exchange through communities of practice focused on workforce education and development.
- Continuous learning through discussions, polls and facilitated sessions that extend learning beyond formal training delivery.
- Needs identification by surfacing workforce and training issues across locations and occupations
Sustaining the ForestEdu Network
The project showed that digital access alone is not enough. Active coordination and partner-led facilitation are essential to creating lasting workforce value.
Long-term operation requires:
- Active coordination: a part-time Network Coordinator to manage groups, calendars, participation and performance.
- Partner-led facilitation: nominated leads or partner facilitators for active groups.
- Safe participation: a code of conduct, reporting pathways, moderation procedures and incident management processes.
- Technical continuity: ongoing platform updates, account support, security checks and licence fees.
- Purposeful review: regular decisions about whether inactive groups should be reactivated, repositioned, merged, archived or closed.
- Meaningful measures: success measures that consider collaboration, resource sharing, training discussions and practical outputs, not only membership and website traffic.
Project 6 created the ForestEdu Network platform and its operating model. Its next-stage value depends on active facilitation, partner participation and sustained resourcing, turning online connections into practical workforce development.
The ForestEdu Network 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.
