Required Profile of Trainers and Instructors of Forest Workers in Greece

Abstract

Teaching personnel plays a central role in vocational training systems. This paper presents the results of a study on the required profile of trainers and instructors responsible for the theoretical and practical part of the training, respectively, of forest workers in Greece. The data was collected by means of personal interviews of forest workers and a mailed questionnaire to forestry experts. According to the results, forest engineers and forest workers are the best choice for trainers and instructors, respectively. An average work experience of about 6 years is required for trainers, and it increases to 12 years for instructors of forest workers, and to 15 years for instructors of machine operators. All groups of teachers will be required to update their knowledge, as well as to acquire pedagogical skills. Information and communication technology is expected to play a significant role, and future teachers will be expected to implement it in the teaching process. The use of content analysis provides more insight into the perceptions and attitudes of the respondents, which were recorded during the interviews.