Northern Forestry Recruiting Network - November 2007 Listserv
Welcome to the NFRN Listserv! This is a communication tool hosted by the College of New Caledonia and Resources North. It is intended to allow those interested in the issue of recruiting forestry professionals to acquire information, share ideas and explore solutions to recruiting in this sector. It can be useful locally but will also inform provincial and national recruiting initiatives.
In the News...
COFI Offering 10 New Scholarships towards Forestry Education
It’s time to start thinking ahead to apply for scholarships. The Council of Forest Industries (COFI) will award ten $1000.00 Entry Level Scholarships to students enrolling in a post-secondary institution professional, technical or trades related program leading to a career in the Forest Sector. (
Information Brochure, 135KB pdf).
Events...
Forestry Careers Workshop
In March 2007 the College of New Caledonia organized a workshop, hosted by McGregor Model Forest, to examine strategies and methods to promote forestry careers in central and northern British Columbia. The workshop was very well attended with over 30 participants from a broad range of interest groups. The purpose of the meeting was to develop a coordinated Northern response to current and future shortages of forest technologists and foresters. The outcome of the workshop was an obvious appetite for continuing the linkage established and the flow of information on the subject. This Listserv was initiated to partially fulfill this request. (Workshop Minutes, 68KB pdf).
Resources...
Steve Baumber’s report on Recruitment Strategy for the B.C. Forest Sector Released June 2007.
This strategy is a response to the anticipated shortage of forest professionals which will occur in BC within the next decade. This strategy will also help the forest sector address a corresponding need for non-forest professionals, researchers, and skilled labour. This comprehensive paper provides the most in depth research to date on the labour market, then goes on to propose a strategic basis for moving ahead. A must read! (Report, 518KB pdf)
Survey Says... There’s Still a Demand for Foresters, but Enrollment is Down
A steady decline in university forestry enrollment from 1998-2003 identified by universities to the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers resulted in Ontario leading an industry wide survey to assess current and future employer demand for university forester and college forest technical graduates. The results of this preliminary survey are presented in this
report (177KB pdf).
Declining Enrollment a concern for Canada and US
The declining enrollment trend is not confined to BC or Canada but is a much wider trend. A joint Canadian Institute of Forestry and Society of American Foresters publication in 2004 identifies this wider trend as well as the arising issue of the effect of an aging population.. (
Report, 110KB pdf).
A Call to Action on Recruitment
A white paper prepared by a national recruiting steering committee and published by the Canadian Institute of Forestry in 2006 summarizes work to date and adds a more in depth discussion of the dynamics at work driving lower enrollments in forestry programs. The paper outlines a national strategy. (
Report, 171KB pdf).
