Formed in 2014, the Forest Harvest Training Forum (the FHTF) mission is to develop Ireland's first accredited forest harvest machine operaters training course. In 2016, a harvesting training simulator was placed in Ballyhaise with financial support from the Forest Service at the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In 2017, the first course was commenced in Ballyhaise College and in January 2018 the first trainees received their QQI certificates. The FHTF will continue to build and maintain the course to ensure that training of these essential forest skills is maintained in Ireland. Members are drawn from both forest educational bodies and the forestry industry and provide their time on a voluntary basis to ensure essential training programmes are available to those seeking to enter the forest harvesting sector in Ireland.