How to attract younger workers to forestry

The newest episode of The CFI Podcast has dropped! In this episode, CFI editor Ellen Cools speaks with Kevin Edgson, president and CEO of EACOM Timber Corporation, board chair of the Forest Products Association of Canada, and a member of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s board of directors, about the challenge of attracting younger workers to the industry.

In recent years, more forestry workers have reached retirement age but fewer young people have entered the industry, resulting in a skilled labour shortage. The industry has struggled to attract younger workers for a number of reasons, including an outdated perception of the industry, a generational shift away from manufacturing and trade jobs, and the general urbanization of Canadian society, Edgson explains.

As a result, the industry needs to communicate and engage society to help the public understand what the industry is about, how industry manages forests, the technology involved and the career paths available, Edgson says.

“It’s really a matter of engaging youth that are especially interested in STEM or trade-type career paths, and helping them understand what those opportunities are,” he explains.

To hear more from Kevin Edgson, click here.

Each episode of The CFI Podcast is available for free on CFI's website and on Annex Business Media's SoundCloud and iTunes account.

Have an idea for a podcast episode? Email Ellen Cools at ecools@annexbusinessmedia.com