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Sector Council says apprenticeship works for industry, needs more support

Apprenticeships and regulated occupations are vital to the continuing health and long-term success of the Canadian forest products sector, says a new report from the Forest Products Sector Council.

Apprenticeships and regulated occupations are vital to the continuing health and long-term success of the Canadian forest products sector, says a new report from the Forest Products Sector Council.

The report, Linking Innovation with Skills: Apprenticeship, regulated occupations and workforce development in Canada’s forest products sector, suggests current apprenticeship and training practices need to change to keep up with a coming skilled worker shortage.

Employers and workers both agree on the benefits of apprenticeship — a higher quality of work, safer work environments, higher wages and higher productivity, and increased employee satisfaction.

At the professional level, the report highlights the declining enrollment in university forestry programs leading to a professional forestry designation and suggests key human resource shortages will exist if this trend continues.

The reports notes: “With collective will — and through determined collaboration with stakeholders such as educators and governments — apprenticeship training and regulated occupations can continue as strong contributors to the success of Canada’s forest products sector.”

The study concludes that the two training models have the flexibility necessary to adapt and supply the sector with the consistent workforce development required to effectively counter economic uncertainty. It is available on the Council’s website at www.fpsc-cspf.ca.

The Forest Products Sector Council (FPSC-CSPF) is an independent, not-for-profit organization, funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.