Evaluating forest-based economic development training needs in Virginia

The economic development community in Virginia was assessed for their fores t-based training needs. It was felt that this group may not be aware of the importance of the forest products industry to Virginia and that by identif ying their training needs, educational programs could be developed to assis t their activities. A survey was mailed to 450 individuals involved in econ omic development throughout Virginia. Over 60 percent of respondents indica ted that business recruitment was their primary responsibility. Fifty-eight percent responded that the forest products industry was not a targeted are a for them. The most important training areas for economic developers inclu ded value-added manufacturing, local forest resource information, local pro duction characteristics, and the availability of financial resources for fo rest-based development. When asked the best way to present information to e conomic developers, respondents stated personal visits, conferences, region al/local workshops, and classroom instruction were the best methods. The re sults of this study will lead to targeted extension programming to the econ omic development community in Virginia.