Higher Federal College for Forestry – Training to become a forestry assistant (Forstadjunkt)

Legal Framework

This forestry education programme is regulated by Section 11 of the Federal Act on Agricultural and Forestry Schools (Land- und forstwirtschaftliches Bundesschulgesetz), Federal Law Gazette No. 175/1966. The curriculum is regulated by Federal Law Gazette No. 331/2004.

Responsibilities

The Ministry of Agriculture is the school operator and therefore bears primary responsibility for the educational programmes offered at higher schools in the agricultural and forestry sectors.

The Federal Ministry of Education is responsible for matters relating to school law and pedagogy, including the quality management system for Austria’s vocational school system (QIBB).

Admission Requirements

The legal basis is set out in the Federal Act on Agricultural and Forestry Schools and the School Education Act.

Admission requirements are:

• Physical fitness and stamina suitable for the profession

• Successful completion of the eighth year of schooling

• Successful completion of the admission procedure

The deadline for registration at the school is the second Friday after the semester holidays.

Training Programmes

The following training programmes are available:

• Five-year standard programme for students who have completed lower secondary school or the lower level of an academic secondary school

• Three-year advanced programme for students who have successfully completed at least three years at an agricultural and forestry vocational school

Both programmes conclude with the school-leaving and diploma examination.

Educational Content

The Higher Federal College for Forestry in Bruck an der Mur provides:

• A solid general education (40 percent general education subjects)

• Comprehensive specialist training in forest management, covering ecology, forestry technology and business management

• Practical knowledge and skills

School-autonomous compulsory subjects and modern teaching methods develop and promote:

• Personal development

• Communication and presentation skills

• Teamwork

• Independent learning

• Foreign language skills

• The development of problem-solving strategies

• Entrepreneurial skills

Practical Training

Specialist subjects are complemented by practical lessons in laboratories and workshops, training and research activities in the two teaching and experimental forests (with a combined area of more than 700 hectares), and a total of 18 weeks of compulsory work experience in companies.

Other School Activities

• Project studies

• Theatre visits

• Cultural events at the school

• Sports competitions (biathlon, football, handball, volleyball, et cetera)

• Specialist excursions in Austria and abroad

• Educational field trips

• Hunting courses

Living Together / Boarding Facilities

Three modern boarding facilities are available at the school, offering twin rooms with private bathroom facilities. These enable many students from remote areas to access higher education.

Under the supervision of trained social pedagogues, students study together, strengthen their sense of belonging and community, and enjoy a varied range of leisure activities.

Boarding School Activities

• Individual learning support

• Internet access for students

• Sports activities (fitness room, gymnasium, sports ground, sports weeks, et cetera)

• Leisure activities (table tennis, pottery, music room, TV and video room, photo laboratory, photography group, arts and crafts room, et cetera)

• Student library

• Air rifle shooting range

Alumni Association

The interests of graduates of the Forestry College in Bruck an der Mur are represented by the Alumni Association of Higher Colleges for Forestry.

Qualifications and Entitlements After the School-Leaving and Diploma Examination

Successful completion of the school-leaving and diploma examination grants the following qualifications and entitlements:

• Eligibility to study at universities, universities of applied sciences and academies

• Exemption from the apprenticeship period for industrial clerks

• Partial exemption from the apprenticeship period for office clerks, wholesale trade clerks and landscape gardeners

• Exemption from the hunter examination

• Exemption from the forestry skilled worker examination and the master craftsman examination

• Exemption from the business administration examination

• Certification as a “Certified Forest Educator”

Professional Designation “Ingenieur” / “Ingenieurin” (Engineer)

After at least three years of professional experience, graduates may apply to the Ministry of Agriculture for authorisation to use the professional designation “Ingenieur” or “Ingenieurin”.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of the school-leaving and diploma examination qualifies graduates as forestry assistants (Forstadjunkt), enabling them, in accordance with the Forestry Act, to:

• Work independently as specialist forestry personnel in the management of Austrian forests

• Supervise construction work on forest roads

Forestry assistants also have career opportunities in:

• Forestry consulting and engineering offices

• Timber procurement and timber trading

• Municipal and regional organisations, managing and carrying out forestry tasks such as small woodland management, participation in forest management cooperatives, renewable energy provision, tree care and road maintenance

• Specialist consulting for forestry products

• National parks, nature conservation and environmental protection

• Landscape planning, landscape management and ecological restoration

• Forest nurseries, including provincial and private forest nurseries

• Employment with hunting associations and in wildlife ecology projects

• IT-related specialist applications, including GIS, software development and software adaptation

Training Pathway to Become a Certified Forester

After two years of relevant professional experience as a forestry assistant (Forstadjunkt), graduates may sit the state examination for the forestry service.

During these two years of professional practice, forestry assistants are gradually prepared for future management responsibilities. This development is supported by six preparatory modules offered by the federal forestry training centres in Ort near Gmunden and Ossiach.

Graduates who pass the state forester examination receive the professional title “Förster” or “Försterin” (forester) and, under the Forestry Act, are authorised to independently manage a forestry enterprise covering an area of 1,000 to 3,600 hectares.

Austrian Foresters’ Association

The Association of Austrian Foresters:

• Represents the interests of forestry assistants and certified foresters

• Operates a job portal

• Strengthens international contacts with foreign foresters’ associations

• Promotes information exchange and member activities through publications

• Establishes non-profit facilities, such as educational institutions, benefit schemes and funds