Forestry’s future workforce has received a boost through a partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and an Otago secondary school.
The MPI funded a two-week silviculture course for students at Milton’s Tokomairiro High School to support them going into employment or enrolling in the school’s one-year forestry training course called Tokomairiro Training.
“The new taster course, which was funded in December 2021, was set up to get students thinking about a career in forestry,” according to New Zealand Forest Service manager – skills, training & workplace safety, Marion Schrama.
“They were able to learn some basic skills, gain NCEA credits, and understand what is required for working in silviculture. The standards assessed for the course were all prerequisites to joining the industry,” Schrama says.
“The students also have the potential of enrolling for the full Tokomairiro Training course. Whether they choose to enrol in the course or work in the sector, they learn about health and safety, chainsaw use and maintenance, and pruning, which are essential in silviculture and forestry.”
Otago/Southland is the second-largest wood supply area in New Zealand, and there is a shortage of young people choosing forestry as a career path.
Schrama says companies are calling out for more workers to meet the demands in silviculture and harvesting.
