A hundred men and women have participated in the first edition of the state cork peeler card of the FUTURECORK project, which has been launched in Catalonia, Extremadura and Andalusia to professionalize cork peeling with a rigorous training and certification model, in accordance with the standards of the European Council for Forestry and Environmental Skills (EFESC).

With the new certification, it has been possible to design, agree on and validate minimum skills for cork peeling, create quality teaching materials, activate a network of accredited trainers and examiners and generate institutional interest around the professional card. In addition, the recognition by professionals in the sector has been unanimous, and the certifications have been perceived as a way to dignify the profession, recognize experience and improve employability in rural areas; in addition to being a great opportunity to exchange peeling practices between different cork territories.

The course

Among the subjects covered during the training are occupational health and safety in peeling operations, both traditional peeling tools and machines used in new technologies and their use, as well as notions about the quality of cork, the forestry of cork forests, diseases and pests of cork forests and, above all, the practice of peeling.

Thanks to FUTURECORK, both the training course and participation in the exam have been free. The results indicate that this model can evolve towards a national policy aimed at the qualification, dignity and sustainability of a key profession for the responsible management of cork forests, with a high impact on the settlement of the population in rural areas and the creation of green and quality employment. The incorporation of women into barking tasks and, in general, throughout the forestry sector, remains a pending challenge.

the project

The FUTURECORK project is a transformative project that seeks to adapt and optimize the state cork sector to the current and future ecological, economic and social situation. The project has five research and action axes that aim to transform the sector by increasing the resilience of cork forests to climate change and fires, reduce the depopulation of rural areas through professionalization, entrepreneurship and diversification of the sector; increase the added value of the cork chain, as well as dignify forestry work through communication and awareness-raising.

FUTURECORK has the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, and has a global budget of 1,400,000 euros.

This action has had the support of the Junta de Extremadura, the Junta de Andalucía, the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Center for Forest Science and Technology of Catalonia.