Partnership Brings Career-Ready Forestry Certification and Free End of Pathway Assessment to Georgia Students

Organizations support forestry career credentialing and develop pipeline for Georgia's forestry industry.

FORSYTH, Ga., Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF) is proud to announce the official launch of ForestryWorks® of Georgia. This program, approved by the Georgia Department of Education, will offer career-ready Forestry Certification and a free End of Pathway Assessment (EOPA) for Georgia students.

Developed through a partnership between ForestryWorks and GFF, this new initiative is designed to provide students with career-ready skills for employment in one of the South's largest and most critical industries - forestry. ForestryWorks of Georgia EOPA exams are currently being offered across six pathways within the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources career cluster - Forestry Management Systems; Forest Mechanical Systems; Forest/Natural Resources Management; Forest/Renewable Energy; Forest/Wildlife Systems; and Agriculture Leadership in Forestry.

"Providing industry-recognized exams helps validate student learning and opens doors to high-paying, meaningful careers in Georgia's forestry industry," shared Kaitlyn Marchant, program manager for agriculture education at the Georgia Department of Education. "We've been part of the program's development from the beginning, with schools across the state piloting the curriculum to ensure high-quality content, strong programming and industry relevance."

Environmental education and innovative programming have long been central to GFF's mission. By collaborating with industry and academic partners, the organization continues to expand its education initiatives with relevant, high-quality content and assessment tools aligned to industry needs. "This unique education resource provides engaging opportunities for every Georgia high-school student to learn about forestry's significant impact on our everyday lives while exploring the many career paths available in this critical natural resource sector," stated Matt Hestad, senior vice president of the Georgia Forestry Foundation.

"In welcoming our newest partner, we are excited to deliver a curriculum that utilizes Georgia-based examples and aligns directly with Georgia's six forestry-related CTAE pathways under the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Cluster," shared Maggie Pope, director of education at ForestryWorks.

The Forest Worker Certification earned by students is recognized by Georgia's forestry industry and was developed to ensure students have access to modern, industry-recognized assessment tools that validate learning outcomes. Participating schools will have access to a fully virtual testing platform, student certification management, and teacher support.

To learn more, visit ForestryWorks of Georgia

About the Georgia Forestry Foundation
The Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF), established in 1990, is a 501 (c) (3) organization that acts as the educational arm of the Georgia Forestry Association. Their mission is to sustain Georgia's forests through funding and support of leadership development, policy studies, and education to enhance the economic, environmental, and community value of working forests for Georgia. For more information, visit www.gfagrow.org.

About ForestryWorks®
ForestryWorks is the workforce development initiative from the Forest Workforce Training Institute (FWTI), a 501(c)3, established in 2018 to develop a pipeline of workers for the forest industry. ForestryWorks® partners with a network of state forestry associations, councils, educational organizations, and government agencies to implement workforce development programming unique to the needs of the forest industry in each state. For more information, visit Fwww.ForestryWorks.com.

Media Contact: Glo Camacho
[email protected]
(786) 399-6291

SOURCE Georgia Forestry Foundation