Why Why Why Why Why?
Why does the wood products industry need skilled workers?
Four reasons.
| 1. Technological Advances | |
The wood products industry is in the midst of a technological revolution. Plants are renovating. New high-tech machines are coming fast and furious. Companies need employees who can operate, install, fix and dream up these machines. And, of course, these machines are all computerized. In fact, everything is computerized. In this industry, you have to ship, draft, design and sell on computers. And that takes skill. | |
| 2. Declining Timber Supply | |
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| 3. Remaining Competitive | |
Technology and the declining timber supply are forcing companies to change. If they don't, they won't survive. They have to be more innovative and more competitive. They have to be smarter. And that's why they want an educated work force. People who can adapt and think. People who can help keep these companies profitable for years to come. | |
| 4. Shortage of Skilled Workers | |
There quite simply aren't enough skilled workers to go around. The stats back it up and the anecdotal evidence is huge. At the University of British Columbia, wood processing students are getting 6 or 7 job offers in their third year. Imagine that. |
Let's face it. The timber supply is not
what it once was. Companies are being forced to do more with each log, in
order to maximize both the wood and their profits. Many companies are starting
new value-added initiatives. And they need employees who can help ignite
these initiatives and make them a success.
The need for skilled workers is real.
But you should hear it from the people most affected - the industry leaders and educators.
SAYS WHO?
"We talk to at least two companies every week who are looking for wood processing specialists."
-Professor Andy McKinstry, Pittsburg State University, Wood Technology
"For young workers coming in, there are lots of jobs - stable jobs for a long period of time. The nature of the work is getting more technical and less hands-on. We need highly educated people for these technical jobs."
-Peter Vogt, Manager, Value-Added Skills Centre, Abbotsford, B.C.
"We have companies from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee that basically call us on a weekly and monthly basis looking for graduates. But we don't have any available because they are all working."
-D.L. Turbyfill,Furniture Production Management Instructor, CVCC
"The forestry industry as a whole has grasped the technology to manufacture their product. In order to use that technology, they need trained individuals - individuals who will use that technology and not just push buttons and run programs. They need people who can think and reason."
-Mike Patton, Furniture Design & Product Development Instructor, CVCC
"If you get some person who is not very bright or who simply doesn't care, you're going to get crap out of your machinery. You have to have smart people who know what the machine does - how it runs and how it works. You need thinkers who care about what they are doing."
-Bret Hopper, General Manager Machine Division, GreCon, Hickory, North Carolina
"These machines are computer controlled. You need people who are comfortable with computers, know how to turn them on, understand file systems and can manipulate files, and can change data and parameters in a computer. These types of people are invaluable to this industry. These are the people that you have a shortage of. "
-Bret Hopper, General Manager Machine Division, GreCon, Hickory, North Carolina
"The people of today still need to be able to use their hands, but they also need to be able to use their minds. We are calling them "technicians" and we are calling them "knowledge workers". That's because they still have to have the ability to work with wood, but they also need to be able to interface with the high tech equipment that you are going to find so prevalent in our industry."
-Duane Griffiths, Manager of Educational Services, Stiles Education Center, Stiles Machinery Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan
"The need for workers, machinery operators, maintenance personnel, supervisors and engineers far outweighs the supply."
-Duane Griffiths, Manager of Educational Services, Stiles Education Center, Stiles Machinery Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan
"Companies need skilled employees...It's no secret that in Canada a big part of our economic strength is based on the wood industry. I think what employers are looking for are those people that can contribute and make a difference and make things better in terms of productivity, quality and efficiency - especially if we are going to maintain our position in the marketplace and hopefully grow."
-Ian Harvey, Manager - Education and Training Programs, BCWOOD Specialties Group