Vermont’s forest and fiber economy is evolving—blending traditional forestry with innovative uses of wood, hemp, and other natural plant and animal fibers.
From wood fiber insulation and molded fiber packaging to mass timber and cellulose-based materials, these emerging products are creating new opportunities for sustainable growth. The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) supports this transition by helping businesses adapt, innovate, and thrive in a changing landscape.
Recognizing that the Northern Forest spans beyond Vermont, VSJF is partnering across state lines to expand markets, share research, and accelerate the development of natural fiber-based technologies. Together, we’re cultivating a resilient regional economy—one that’s rooted in natural resources, forest-based communities and built for the future.
About 78% of Vermont is forested and keeping those forests intact and working is crucial to Vermont’s future. Working forests simultaneously mitigate the effects of climate change, provide a livelihood for rural communities, and produce innovative products like engineered wood products that reduce embodied carbon in buildings and molded fiber that can replace single-use plastic. But the demographics of those in the forest industry, as well as the thousands of small woodlot owners who have long depended on healthy forest products markets, skew older.
Forest products businesses must attract the next generation of operators who can pursue new markets and advance these businesses as part of a thriving forest economy. Likewise, landowners facing land transition decisions must retain an economic incentive to keep their working forests into the future. Working to strengthen the industry brings together people from disparate parts of the industry to preserve Vermont’s working forests.
Visit the Forest Business Accelerator for more information.
In 2025, VSJF re-launched the Forest Business Accelerator, in collaboration with Vermont State University, to provide forest business startups and seed stage businesses with a comprehensive commercialization curriculum and connections to industry experts, customers, suppliers, partners, and investors.
The Forest Business Accelerator provides companies with a unique go-to-market curriculum and approach tailored to the needs of manufacturing and technology companies in the forest economy. Companies receive expert advice and tools to build a market validated business case, economic model, and operating plan through a rigorous commercialization curriculum, coaching, webinars and panels, and connections to industry experts, customers, and suppliers. The Accelerator partners with ecosVC to provide companies access to their comprehensive commercialization curriculum and years of experience supporting STEM-based startups through their go-to-market process.
We help Vermont businesses grow by coordinating supply chains that connect producers, service providers, and capital partners. Our goal: remove bottlenecks, spark collaboration, and open new markets to create value at every step of the supply chain.
Through targeted convenings and strategic partnerships, we’ve helped unlock new opportunities for Vermont’s natural resource sectors.
Forest to Fiber: Next-Generation Pathways for Vermont and Regional Leadership in Wood-Based Fiber and Textiles highlights the growing potential for pulp-grade wood to replace oil-based plastics in woven and non-woven textiles. The report explores emerging technologies, market opportunities, and global policy shifts that could position the Northern Forest region as a leader in sustainable fiber innovation. Access the report for an overview of the global textile industry, data on fiber types, and insights into how wood-based alternatives could reshape supply chains and reduce waste.
The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund produced this report with support from the Northern Forest Center, U.S. Endowment for Forests and Communities and EDA, and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.
Watch our video series about employment in the forest industry
Visit our collection of forest economy workforce resources.
Our forest economy offers exciting and rewarding opportunities for people who want to work in the woods, in wood shops, or in other ways contribute to our collective goal of keeping our forests as forests.
The goal of these workforce development materials is to help businesses across Vermont’s forest economy and wood products supply chain strengthen industry relationships and explore development opportunities.
Our Career Guide provides information about job roles, starting salaries, and required training or degrees.
A user-friendly platform designed for young people exploring career and education pathways
Features forst products sector highlights and industry insights.
Our work in network development, supply chain coordination, and strategic communications over the past decade helped set the stage for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation’s Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap, which provides a plan to strengthen and promote the industry over the next decade.
Developing the Roadmap galvanized the industry and brought together various partners who are now positioned to implement it. We are proud of the work we did to assist the Department in its development, and we are excited to support this next implementation phase.
VSJF is leading a working group to develop the strategies identified in the Roadmap’s Pillar 3: Research, Innovation and Technology.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation’s Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap, released in January 2024. Christine McGowan, VSJF’s Forest Products Development Director, supported its development.
Meet Charlie Hancock, a county forester and former owner of Northwoods Forestry. Like many Vermonters, Charlie grew up in and around forests and has an affinity for nature and being outdoors. His love for the outdoors led him to pursue a career in forestry where he can spend time in nature helping our forests thrive!
A career in sawmilling is an exciting, engaging work experience. No two days look the same for Trevor Allard, vice president of Allard Lumber Company. His advice to those interested in a career in lumber is to have a strong work ethic and stay motivated. Sawmilling is serious business that requires mechanical know-how, but it is also where you can help turn logs into lumber used for so many products we use every day!
Woodworkers are responsible for turning a rough board into a final product, including both the technical and creative steps along the way. Meet Jared Williams and Catherine Emil, two woodworkers who pursued their passions and landed careers in woodworking. This engaging career allows them to use their creativity to build whatever they dream up!
Arising out of an industry-wide gathering to explore workforce needs organized by VSJF, we assembled the list of resources below, highlighting the tremendous number of resources for forest economy employers and employees.
Below you’ll find access links to presentations, programs, and other helpful contacts.
Upskill and train existing Vermont employees.
Workforce education and training, including customized workshops, which lead to certification degree programs and more. The VTSU Employer Partner Program helps to recruit and engage future and current students in Vermont’s workforce.
Provides education, training, and safety certifications to Vermont loggers.
Provides consulting, training, and coaching to Vermont manufacturers. Through Lean Manufacturing training, businesses may be able to reduce the need for additional workers through automation strategies and a more efficient workflow.
Connects employer needs with training programs and funding resources to better prepare the labor force with job-ready skills.
An organization offering employee recruitment services in Vermont.
Offers employment and career services for individuals.
Offers inmates paid job training in wood manufacturing and other trades to help them build skills to prepare for a career for when they re-enter the workforce. The woodshop produces a wide variety of wood furniture and other wood products.
ThinkVT, a website for prospective Vermont residents and businesses, has a section of its website devoted to Vermont workforce statistics and resources. ThinkVT also has a page outlining business incentives, financing, and other special programs here.
Located throughout Vermont, these organizations can assist businesses with employee recruitment, training, and other business assistance.
Vermont Career and Technical Education Centers, located across the state provide education and technical training to high school and adult students; some offer classes in forestry, sawyering, construction woodworking, and related fields.•
With funding through VTC teaches youth woods skills while providing landowners a crew to handle timber stand improvement projects.
Prepares students with the skills to solve the complex problems facing forest ecosystems, sustainable forest management, and conservation.
Trains students in fine woodworking and furniture design.
Provides technical and financial assistance to help working lands businesses innovate and grow.
