Workforce Training


Department: CAL FIRE


Program Description: CAL FIRE offers grant funding through its Workforce Development Grant program to applicants seeking to increase California’s workforce capacity in the fields of logging, fuels treatment, forest sector transportation, forest sector manufacturing, or other forest sector support services. Research and Development ancillary to the workforce development topics discussed may also be funded.

Program Impact: CAL FIRE has 20 grant agreements totaling $38 million with partners who are doing workforce training. These programs are offering training to 1,200+ participants annually in forest-sector fields including prescribed fire, forestry, firefighting, heavy equipment and logging operations, teacher education, and peer-to-peer business learning. Students leave these programs with qualifications that range from college degrees to fellowships, certificates, mentoring, and apprentice work experience. CAL FIRE is currently soliciting additional projects and has received broad interest in furthering workforce development training in forest-sector fields.

Resilience in Action: The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) is a 510(c)(3) that provides career support to those who have been in, or are returning home from, California’s Conservation Camps (i.e., “Fire Camp”) and are interested in careers in the wildland and/or forestry sector. Their mission is to increase wildfire personnel from non-traditional and underrepresented communities, providing then with the training, skills, resources, and experiences needed to secure gainful, living-wage employment while providing immediate fire prevention services throughout California.

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