The Rainforest Alliance and NEPCon now offer a unique training course designed for those who seek to understand how FSC certification works in practice or to gain formal competence within FSC auditing.
The five day training course covers both Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification including Controlled Wood requirements. More than 200 participants have already gone through FSC Lead Auditor training provided by NEPCon and the Rainforest Alliance. The training concept was recently endorsed as fulfilling FSC’s formal training requirements, and from now on the course may thus replace the formal ISO training which is otherwise required for FSC auditors.
In the engine room of FSC
Based on intensive, high-speed training provided by some of the world’s most experienced FSC Lead Auditors, participants gain a complete overview of the main elements of the FSC system as well as comprehensive insight into the ’engine room’ of the FSC - how the system operates in practice. Participants will get to know the answers to questions such as: How should the technical requirements be interpreted? How do auditors verify certificate holders’ compliance? When is a certificate granted, suspended or terminated?
”Through hands-on exercises based on realistic scenarios, the participants experience what it is like to be in the shoes of an FSC auditor. This has proven to be a very effective way of learning the specific skills and competences required for high-quality FSC auditing”, says Jon Jickling, Deputy Director of RA-Cert, the Rainforest Alliance’s certification arm.
He adds: ”Aside from prospective FSC auditors, other stakeholders engaging in certification, such as certified companies, public agencies, and non-governmental organisations, can all benefit greatly from a deeper level of understanding of the system. Those responsible for internal FSC auditing within their own organisation can even apply the auditing techniques directly”.
Each course is limited to a maximum of 12 participants, providing room for high-quality learning, small group exercises and teamwork with individual feedback provided throughout the event.
Focus on field performance
”We developed this training concept because we believe that there is a need for FSC auditors and other stakeholders to truly understand the subject matter that they are dealing with. Whilst ISO training provides a good framework for system auditing, FSC is a performance-based organisation; to meet stakeholder expectations, it is necessary to educate future auditors on how to check and verify ground performance”, says CEO of NEPCon Feilberg.
”This is best done through training focusing directly on FSC auditing – in the forest, where the actual forestry performance needs to be verified, and in the industry supply chain where the main purpose of certification is to ensure traceability. Is the forest really managed to conserve high conservation values? Does the staff of the certified enterprise really understand and follow the company’s written Chain of Custody procedure in practice? These are questions that FSC auditors need to check carefully. ISO is mainly about checking systems, while FSC is also very much about checking that the systems are actually working to fulfil their purpose”.
In addition to passing endorsed formal training, prospective FSC auditors also need to possess relevant experience and credentials as well as participate on actual FSC audits in the field before they can be approved as FSC auditors.
Book or join a training event
NEPCon oganises regular training courses in Europe, conducted either in English or Russian language. The next open FSC auditor training events held in the English language are scheduled for 25-29 June and 8-12 October, 2012. Both events take place in the attractive touristic town of Jurmala, Latvia. Jurmala is located right at the Baltic Sea coast and near the beautiful capital of Riga, famous for its historic center included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Significantly reduced rates are available for NGOs, FSC National Offices and college or university students, and a 10% discount is provided to participants registering minimum two months in advance. Generic training on FSC auditing for individual organisations is available on request.
Learn more about the training concept, view our training calendar and prices, and sign up for training.