From Advertisement for the Forestry Machine Operator Training Program
The Forest Sector Council of Nova Scotia is seeking candidates to participate in its Forestry Machine Operator Training Program.
The forestry machine operator training program is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions as mechanized forest equipment operators.
The specialized nature of forest harvesting equipment requires skilled operators with a focus on safe, environmentally sustainable, and viable commercial operations.
The current session begins on March 14, 2022 in Truro. It involves a 5 week, in-class introduction (Forestry 101), a 5 week Basic Training component 5 weeks and 15 weeks of Advanced Equipment Operation Training in which “students are matched with a harvesting contractor who will employ the student for ‘on-the-job’ training component directly on the contractor’s active operations.”
The Advertisement for the program notes that the the forest products industry contributed over $649 million to the provincial economy in exports in 2014, but that there is now a shortage of forestry machine operators.
A critical factor in the success of the industry is the strength of forestry contractors who provide important services including logging, transportation, and silviculture; these businesses are primarily responsible for supplying the forest industry with wood fiber. However, the aging workforce and the inability to find skilled forestry machine operators is having a major impact on the current and future success of the forest sector.
Currently, there are are 8 seats available in the program.
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