Career Pathways Action Guide

Achieve Tree Equity through urban forestry jobs training.

Phase:

Urban forestry career pathways help facilitate greater economic and environmental equity. Build yours here.

Across the country, urban forestry employers face an unprecedented labor shortage. With 8,000 annual open positions for tree trimmers and pruners alone, thousands of jobs are projected to open in tree maintenance and plant health care through 2026. Who will fill these slots? Well, the right people may already be right around the corner from where more trees and tree maintenance are needed most.

Cities like Chicago, Baltimore, Providence, Los Angeles and more have faced their labor shortages through programs designed for residents who face barriers to employment, inclusively rebuilding tomorrow’s urban forestry workforce. You can too.

This Guide is based on the Tree Equity: Career Pathways initiative work from American Forests.

Sarah Anderson, Eboni Hall, PhD, Ian Leahy
Anderson, Hall, and Leahy work for American Forests.
Career Pathways Action Guide