Ontario Construction News staff writer
Forests Ontario and the Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) have completed an Employment Ontario research project looking at labour shortages in the province’s forestry sector.
The report – Bridging the Gap Between Ontario’s Youth and the Provincial Forest Sector – was funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. The objectives of the research project are to generate a detailed understanding of job vacancies and the associated training and educational requirements needed to fill openings and to provide critical insight into the perceptions of youth and Indigenous youth, teachers and parents with respect to the forestry sector.
“The forestry sector is faced with labour shortages across a variety of roles, and these are expected to increase over the next 5 to 10 years,” OFIA president and CEO Ian Dunn said in a statement. “We are seeing gaps and misconceptions that prevent some youth from considering a career in the industry, which is why the Bridging the Gap research is so important.”
According to Bridging the Gap research, to effectively compete with other industries and attract and retain a workforce that can sustain continuous growth, the forestry sector will need to build better awareness and engagement with youth, so they consider forestry as a viable, enticing option when choosing their career paths.
“While already integral to many communities today, the forestry sector will become even more important in the coming years as sustainably produced forest products are further recognized as a tool in the fight against climate change,” says Rob Keen, registered professional forester and Forests Ontario chief executive officer.
“Looking toward to the future, we need youth in the forestry sector –Bridging the Gap research findings will enable this growing industry to better and more effectively communicate with students and young adults to identify and recruit the skilled labour the sector needs.”
Research project details are available at forestsontario.ca/en/resource/bridging-the-gap.