Introduction

The JobStart/Future Skills Sector Partnerships Program of Saskatchewan Learning enabled a sector study of the forestry industry in Saskatchewan. This industry profile is based on that study, published in 1999.

The forestry industry established a partnership of industry members and key stakeholders through funding and support from the Sector Partnerships Program. These partners worked together to carry out a study that identified current and future hiring needs and training requirements.

Strategic planning enables industry and training providers to work together to provide training opportunities that match the skills the industry requires.

For more information about the Sector Partnership Report and this industry visit the Executive Summary. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file.

Forestry Overview

The forestry industry involves harvesting, silviculture (the growing and cultivation of trees), milling, value-added processing and manufacturing.

The global scene

• The global forestry industry is being pressured from many directions. The pressures include:
• increased demand for forestry products


• increased protection of forests and wildlife


• public participation in forestry management


• increased global competition


• global climate change


• The planet’s consumption of forestry products has more than doubled over the last 30 years. And global population continues to grow.


• Products such as timber are sold on the international market based on the lowest price.


• New low-cost competitors compete with Canadian products. Their trees grow more quickly and there is less regulation and monitoring of their practices.

The Canadian scene

• Over the decades, the forestry industry has been cyclical. But forests continue to be one of Canada’s major economic resources.


• Canada accounts for 10% of the world’s forested lands and almost 20% of global trade in forest products.


• Nearly half of Canada’s landmass is forested. Of that area, just over half is classified as timber productive. This means that it is capable of producing commercial tree species within a reasonable period of time.


• Forestry accounted for almost $50 billion in shipments in 1993. This included $20 billion in exports and involved over 700,000 jobs.


• Canadian companies have focused on modernizing technology and improving environmental standards in their mills. These moves have helped them compete in the global market.


• As more customers demand products harvested from sustainably managed forests, demand for Canadian products will increase.

Saskatchewan Overview

• Saskatchewan’s forests cover 52.2% of the province, with 45% classified as timber productive.


• The forestry industry in Saskatchewan plays an important role in the economy, contributing to job creation, investment and exports.


• In 1984, Saskatchewan’s forestry exports were valued at $140 million. By 1994, the value of exports had increased to $305 million.


• The 1991 census showed 4,345 people working in Saskatchewan’s forestry industry. This accounts for 0.9% of Saskatchewan’s total workforce.


• There are an equal number of workers in the three areas of forestry and logging, wood products, and paper and allied products.


• The three largest occupations in terms of employee numbers are trades workers, labourers and truck drivers.


• The most commonly mentioned skill shortages identified in the 1998 survey were conventional harvesting equipment operators, administrators and mechanical harvesting equipment operators.


• The forestry industry is seasonal in nature.

Kinds of employers

• Forestry and logging companies
  
• Wood processing companies
  
• Sawmill operations
  
• Log haulers
  
• Companies that gravel and sand logging roads
  
• Lumber manufacturers
  
• Road construction trainers
  
• Trucking companies
  
• Journeymen sawyers
  
• Silviculture companies
  
• Consulting companies
  
• Equipment-finding companies
  
• Pulp producers
  
• Wood remanufacturers
  
• Planers

Of companies surveyed in 1998, 28% were 100% Aboriginally owned and another 3% were owned in part by Aboriginal peoples.

Who works in the industry?

• Almost two-thirds of the total forestry workforce in Saskatchewan is between the ages of 15 to 34. Youth between the ages of 15 and 24 make up 20.6% of the workforce. Within the logging and forestry part of the industry, youth employment is even higher at 33.6%.
  
• In Saskatchewan, women make up 14.8% of the forestry industry workforce. Women are entering non-traditional occupations such as tree planting, fire fighting and corporate management. They also work in traditional occupations within the industry, such as bookkeeping, office administration and reception.
  
• Aboriginal workers are well represented in the forestry industry, at 36.5% of the workforce.
  
• People with disabilities make up 3% of the industry’s workforce. Visible minorities make up only 1% of the forestry workforce.
  
• Many Saskatchewan forestry workers have attained education levels somewhat under the provincial average. Of those with jobs in the industry, 14% have completed less than a grade nine education.
  
• At a time when higher education is needed to deal with increasing technology, only 5.1% of workers in forestry have a university degree.
  

Saskatchewan Trends

• The Forest Resource Management Act that came into effect in 1999 aims to:
  
  • increase northern and Aboriginal participation in developing and managing the forestry industry
    
  • ensure sustainable forest management and better use of the wood supply
    
  • strengthen companies’ responsibility for forest use planning and environmental review
  
  
• The expansion of the forest industry began in 1999 and will continue over the period to 2009 and even beyond. The expansion is based on a partnership between industry, Aboriginal people, northern communities and government.
  
• Expansion plans aim to double the present size of the forest industry. It will involve private sector investment of over $850 million.
  
• Almost all the new developments involve central and northern Saskatchewan communities. The plans could lead to as many as 10,000 new direct and indirect jobs over the period to 2009.
  
• The occupations expected to experience the most growth in the short term are:
  
  • forestry technicians/technologists/professionals
    
  • harvesting equipment operators
    
  • mill equipment operators
    
• New technologies are increasing the industry’s cost efficiency and legislative requirements are increasing the use of environmentally sound technology. The industry will need a workforce educated to meet the demands of the new technology.
  
• Technology is also used to manage forest inventories. This strengthens the province’s ability to sustain forest resources.
  
• A consumer preference for recycled material rather than virgin timber has been growing. This reduces the Canadian advantage, which is based on high quality virgin timber.
  
• There has been an increase in the production of value-added products and engineered wood products that use less lumber.
  
• Some mills are serving niche markets for higher quality paper products.
  

 

Related Jobs

The following list provides an idea of some of the jobs in the forestry area.

Where there is a relevant occupational description in Saskatchewan Job Futures, you can click on the job to go directly to that description. You’ll learn more about the occupation, including education and training requirements, work duties, wage information and employment trends.

National Occupational Classification (NOC) numbers follow the job title. You can use the NOC numbers to look up the occupations in the NOC.

Other related jobs include: truck driver, industrial millwright, industrial electrician, heavy duty mechanic, lumber tradesperson, biologist, computer analyst, administration, geographic information systems specialist, soil scientist, ecologist, and others.

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Where the Jobs Are

• Businesses surrounding the Prince Albert area employ 28.5% of the industry’s workers.
  
• Many industry workers live in remote locations.
  
• Almost all of the new forestry developments are located in central and northern Saskatchewan communities.
  

Earnings

The average annual income of workers employed in the forestry industry is $28,351.

Skills and Training

Education and skill requirements are changing. A grade 12 education will soon be required for forestry industry employees. Increasing automation and the need to repair more complex machinery are leading to increased skill requirements.

Changes to the Forestry Act in 1999 have led to an increased need for graduates from professional degree and technical diploma programs.

Want to find out what kind of related education and training programs are offered in Saskatchewan? Check into What to Study? to find out what’s available and where.

Skills and knowledge that workers in the industry may need include:

Computer skills Hydraulics Literacy Math skills Handle equipment First aid/CPR Preventative maintenance Occupational health and safety Class 1A license/air brakes Mechanical skills Forest ecology Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

Electronics Problem-solving Cultural sensitivity Supervisory skills Management skills Financial skills Remote sensing technology Technical skills specific to the occupation Global positioning systems Forest inventory Communication skills Interpersonal skills

Employers look for workers who are motivated, willing to work, physically fit and dependable. The ability to handle living away from home in a camp and to get along with co-workers may be crucial.

The Future

Climate change is a threat to the industry. Carbon emissions are an increasing problem. Forest fire management is part of the solution for reducing carbon emissions.
The occupations that 1998 survey participants expect will need increased and/or different training in the future include:

• administrator


• mechanical harvesting equipment operator


• mill equipment operator


• labourer


• forestry manager (technician, technologist and professional forester)

Related Information

Visit the following Web sites for more information on the forestry industry:

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