Martin Auswald, a technician from the National Forestry Office of Yvelines, is tasked with marking trees for cutting in the Sainte-Apolline woods. Using red and dark orange paint, he identifies those that will be cut and those that will remain, respectively. This is part of the effort to delineate the area that will be sold off and the trees that loggers will have the permission to fell in the coming year.
The work of forestry professionals involves ensuring the forest’s renewal by preserving the most beautiful trees and providing timber for downstream industries such as sawmills, carpentries, coopers, and paper mills.
The French forestry sector, from seed to packaging, employs 378,000 full-time workers, which represents 1.4% of the active population. The sector is diverse, with 23 professional organizations.
Foresters fall into several groups: silviculturists, who plant and select species, care for the forest, maintain biodiversity and shape the forest of the future; forestry contractors, who fell, ridge, and harvest trees; and forest operators who market the wood, buying it from the owners and selling it to primary processing industries.
The forestry sector operates either within the framework of the ONF, which manages public forests and employs 9,100 workers, or within forestry cooperatives or companies in France.
Richard Emeyriat, a forest engineering advisor at Forêt Logistique Conseil, explains that very few of the 3.5 million private forest owners exploit their forests themselves. The sector is highly fragmented, with 80% of it comprising of very small enterprises employing fewer than 10 people.
A young graduate will start at 2300-2500 euros per month
FranceBoisforêt lists 60,000 companies in the sector, a third of which are dedicated to forestry. The sector is currently looking to hire at all levels, from forestry workers and machine operators to expert and engineer profiles.
The Agroparistech school in Nancy, which offers forestry management training, receives 10 to 20 job offers each week. A young graduate can expect to start their career earning between 2300 and 2500 euros per month.
Arnaud Godevin, director of the Ecole Supérieure du Bois, notes a growing interest in using wood in construction due to its environmental benefits. This trend is exemplified by the future Olympic Games village at Plaine Saint-Denis, which will be primarily made of wood.
Arnaud Godevin also observed a 30% increase in applications for the ESB competition in 2019 and 2020, indicating the growing appeal of the sector.
Myriam Legay, director of Agroparistech, noted that there is a demand for forestry graduates from all over France and even overseas. The majority of positions in the sector are long-term jobs.
What studies to do?
To work in the forestry sector, one can opt for an agricultural CAP in forestry work, or a BPA in forestry work. Further studies can lead to a Bac pro Forestry, a Bac STAV, or a Professional certificate for forestry site manager. For those aiming for a career as an engineer, applications can be made to major schools in the sector such as AgroParisTech, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, the Ecole supérieure du bois, among others.
