Coillte launches new scholarship programme - open to Kilkenny students

Coillte, the semi-state forestry company, has launched its first ever scholarship programme which will give two students the unique opportunity to pursue a full-time, third level programme within the area of forestry at either University College Dublin (UCD) or South East Technological University (SETU).

The scholarship will award two students up to €20,000 for the duration of the degree programme (€5,000 per year) to support with fees and living expenses.

The Coillte Scholarship programme aims to highlight forestry as a fulfilling career for both men and women and attract the foresters of the future into the sector.

Identified as a key enabler in the delivery of Ireland’s climate action goals, the forestry industry will need more than 1,770 forestry and wood processing professionals to realise the ambitions of Ireland’s Forest Strategy. Securing future talent is crucial to ensuring Coillte can realise many of these employment opportunities, focusing on delivering the company’s own strategy, to enable the creation of new forests, increase the area of forests managed for biodiversity, continue to produce sustainably grown wood, and double the number of outdoor forest recreation spaces across the country.

“The forestry industry is projected to experience an acute labour shortage in the near future, which is a significant concern for Coillte and the wider forest sector and something we are working hard to address,” said Mark Carlin, Managing Director of Coillte Forest.

“Our strategic vision, which supports Ireland’s Forest Strategy, highlights the importance of forestry in tackling climate change but we need skilled workers to enable us to achieve Ireland’s ambitions and those of Coillte. By launching the Coillte Scholarship Programme we are not only seeking to support young people opting for forestry as a career, we are also hoping to drive awareness of the multiple benefits of forestry as a whole and its suitability to many.”

A recent RED C Research survey commissioned by Coillte revealed that 54% of young people aged between 18 and 29 are open to considering a career in the sector. While 61% of men surveyed believe their suitability to the forestry industry, a large proportion of women surveyed (45%) also consider themselves suitable, which is encouraging as Coillte aims to attract a more gender diverse talent pool. Almost six in 10 of those surveyed recognise the strong correlation between forestry and sustainability and the role the sector plays in tackling climate change.

Each scholarship recipient will also be offered the opportunity of paid summer employment in Coillte for the duration of the scholarship and on completion of the degree, they will have the opportunity to join Coillte.
The closing date for applications to the Coillte Scholarship Programme is April 28.