Features Operations & Management Workforce
Renewing the workforce with training options

Jan. 16, 2018 – Vision 2020, developed by the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), expects to renew the workforce in the forest products industry with at least 60,000 new recruits. To help the pulp and paper industry address the challenges associated with the increased workforce, FPInnovations has developed different training programs with a focus on newly hired employees and those who need to update their skills.

The most popular of these training programs is a five-day course covering pulp, paper and bioproducts, which is open to staff working in pulp and paper as well as other industries. The course has been very popular over the years, with new lectures constantly being added. The latest addition, Innovation Day, introduces new emerging biomaterials and biochemicals — such as nanocellulose, lignin and biofuel — to students. Designed in a way so that demonstrations coincide with the lectures, the course aims to give students an opportunity to discuss in more detail what they learned in the lectures in an informal setting. The feedback on this course has been very positive and is highly recommended by former students each year.

There are other options for companies that require training for the specific needs of pulp and paper mills, such as mechanical pulping, chemical pulping, papermaking, printing and tissue making. Demands are changing with the growth in tissue, hygiene, packaging, specialties and automation. FPInnovations has designed customized courses and onsite training for large and small groups. These delivery alternatives are ideal when staff cannot travel and when mills face changes in operation.

Tutoring sessions at PaperWeek Canada, presented in conjunction with PAPTAC, include topics ranging from How to select your furnish to Absorption and softness. These sessions are being attended by mill staff and give new employees a chance to meet others and have an open dialogue. Held in partnership with PAPTAC and TAPPI, topic-specific webinars are another option for new employees to receive training.

In 2016, PAPTAC delivered nine webinars on a wide range of topics. FPInnovations also offers webinars which can be viewed on its website. Past webinars can be revisited at any time. The industry is transforming and moving away from traditional markets. New employees need to embrace these new technologies and take advantage of the many options for learning which are offered to them.

Click here to learn more about the various training options available from FPInnovations.

This submission was originally published in the Winter 2018 issue of Pulp & Paper Canada.