Foresters have a new educational center in Trutnov worth 38 million

Trutnov - A modern center for vocational education in forestry began operations today in Trutnov. It was established at the Czech Forestry Academy in Trutnov, which is a school offering secondary and higher vocational education in forestry. The investment in the new center amounted to nearly 38 million crowns. The Hradec Králové Region, which is the founder of the school, obtained most of the funds from a European Union grant. Jiří Hošna, spokesman for the regional authority, told ČTK.
     The center was created by modernizing and expanding the facilities in the school forest area. It has been functioning since 1958 as a model of a small functional forest management and is currently managing 1,240 hectares of forests. The new center will also serve for further education of adults, for retraining, forestry firms, and forest owners. According to the regional councilor for education Jiří Noska, the school has thus gained access to new forestry technologies and methods.
     In the newly opened facility of the school, nine new specialized classrooms were created, along with a lecture hall, four rooms for teacher preparation, and storage for specialized teaching aids. It includes a simulator with a technical room, two meeting rooms, a study room, a changing room, and additional facilities. The project will also allow for the introduction of new educational programs or alternative forms of education.
     The construction of the forestry education center is part of a project to establish four specialized education centers in the region. The Hradec Králové Region obtained a grant of 125 million crowns from EU funds for it. In Hradec Králové, the region already opened two centers this September, namely a center for engineering at the Secondary Vocational School on Hradební Street and a center for training automotive mechanics at the Secondary Vocational School Vocelova. By 2012, a construction center will also be established in Náchod.