What Drives Individuals to Pursue Careers in the Forest Sectors?

Abstract Despite its contributions, the forest sector in the United States faces persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining young, diverse, and skilled individuals. These challenges highlight the urgent need to understand what factors are influencing and shaping individuals’ decisions to pursue careers in the forest sector. This study, therefore, aims to identify the career values prioritized by the forestry and wood products/science university students (future workforce) and compares them with the current forestry and wood products/science professional workforce. A survey of 86 students and 397 employees shows that both respondent groups place a high importance on specialization, reflecting a shared desire for roles that require complex problem-solving and high-level knowledge. However, significant differences emerged since students rated mobility, work-life balance, and diversity higher than employees, while employees emphasized the social and management aspects of their roles, independence in their work, and their salaries more than students. These preferences may reflect generational shifts in work expectations or a limited understanding of current industry demands. Employees have more exposure to workplace hierarchies and leadership roles and may have adjusted their values to align with industry standards and realities of professional practice over time. Demographic analysis revealed that educational background and sociodemographic characteristics significantly shaped value preferences, especially values like independence, work-life balance, and diversity.