MOSCOW – Three new shortened degree programs offered this fall at University of Idaho seek to address growing workforce needs. The College of Natural Resources programs prepare students for jobs in fire mitigation, forestry operations and nursery management after two years of education, rather than four. The offerings, approved by the State Board of Education in April, are the first associate degrees at University of Idaho. Students develop essential skills through flexible coursework and hands-on training while forming partnerships with real-world private and public forests, nurseries and enterprise. “These new associate of science degrees are critical to meeting our land-grant mission,” said Charles Goebel, department head of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences at U of I. “Students in these programs utilize our unique resources and expertise to help meet the workforce demands of the growing forestry and wildland fire industries.”