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Joep Van Schaik Bright Futures Scholarship
The Joep van Schaik Bright Futures Programme offers retail executives a unique opportunity to visit Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) supported forest projects in South East Asia and Central Africa to gain a better understanding of their products' origins and impacts.
The programme builds participants' knowledge of the social, environmental and wood resource issues linked with their hardwood products.
The course runs over 16 days and combines teaching sessions delivered by senior TFT staff, with active participation in the TFT's forestry and Wood Control System work.
Participants visit forests and factories with senior TFT field staff to experience and learn about:
- Tropical forest management and forestry operations
- The practicalities of securing legal, traceable and sustainable wood
- Implementation of factory Wood Control Systems that exclude undesirable wood
Through these activities participants achieve critical insights into:
- The threatened resource base and the complex production process upon which the tropical wood products trade is based
- The relationship that exists between their products, the forest environment and forest communities
Who can apply?
TFT Member businesses can nominate retail executives from their staff to take part in this programme. Successful nominees:
- Have experience of procuring tropical wood products
- Are future decision makers near the beginning of their retail careers
- Will communicate their experiences within their company
- Will use their insights to strengthen company hardwood procurement policies and strategies
Application and participation requirements
Up to a maximum of six participants will be accepted into the programme annually.
Member businesses should contact their TFT Client Manager to nominate one of their employees for the programme.
The programme is intensive and involves work in sometimes strenuous tropical climates. Participants receive a detailed schedule of activities and a list of potential health and safety risks. Before joining the programme participants will need to confirm that they are in good health, properly inoculated and that they have adequate medical and injury insurance in place.
Who pays?
The TFT organises and runs the course without charge.
The participant's employers cover all other costs, including:
- All costs associated with travel to the producer country (including flights, visa charges, and insurances)
- The participant's salary during the visit
- Internal flights in the producer country
- Accommodation and meals in the producer country
The scholarship is named after Joep van Schaik who died in 2005. Joep was a furniture buyer with the Dutch retailer Kwantum (TFT Founder Member). He became a strong advocate of the TFT, and more generally of retailers understanding their wood product supply chains and their impacts on source forests.
Joep's widow, Lilian, and Kwantum store manager Ronald Elsenaar leave for Indonesia to take part in the first couse
Joep van Schaik, of Dutch retailer Kwantum, knew the value of understanding their wood supply chain and forest sources.
For more information contact:
a.smith@tropicalforesttrust.com
