While the forest products industry will need to hire students and recent graduates from nearly every background in the coming decade to ensure it has the right people the industry needs to continue growing and innovating, there is a shortlist of in-demand jobs that employers in this industry are particularly interested in.
So, what are they and why are they so in demand?
First and foremost: skilled trades workers. Like other natural resource industries, the forest products sector is feeling the crunch for highly skilled technical professionals, such as Welders, Electricians, Mechanics, Millwrights and more. Skilled trades workers are vital to nearly every aspect of the industry from start to finish.
Similarly, forest products companies need a ton of people to actually work on their ongoing operations in enormous forests across the country, from coast to coast. These include Forestry Technologists, Heavy Equipment Operators and Silviculturists – also known as the people who cultivate and care for the trees that will eventually be used to make forest products. They nurture tiny seedlings into big, strong trees with endless possibilities!
Next up we have the Engineers and Scientists. From designing and building the equipment and facilities that harvest and process trees, to developing new ways to use wood in the lab and then scaling it up to industrial proportions, these are the people who are creating the cutting-edge technology and techniques that Canada’s forest products industry is becoming known for around the world.
Finally, last but not least, are the people who work behind the scenes at the offices of forest products companies. These are your Accountants, IT Specialists, Sales Reps, Analysts and more. They most often work at head offices in and around Montreal, but they can also be located at the on-site offices of pulp and paper mills, laboratories and forestry operations.
Keep reading to see the full list of the most in-demand jobs in “the greenest workforce” right now:
Forest products skilled trades jobs:
- “B” Pressure Welders
- Control System Specialists
- Distributed Control Systems (DCS) Technicians
- Heavy Duty Mechanics
- Industrial Electricians
- Industrial Instrumentation
- Industrial Mechanics
- Machinists
- Maintenance Planners
- Millwrights
- Power Steam Engineers
- Process Engineers
- Sawfilers
- Steam Fitters and Pipe Fitters
- Vibration Analysts
Forest products woodlands operation and general labourer jobs:
- Environmental Supervisors
- Forestry Technologists
- Heavy Equipment Operators (Logging, Sawmill and Pulp Mill)
- Logging Truck Drivers
- Material Handlers
- Silviculturists
- Technicians (Pulp, Paper and Logging)
Forest products science and engineering jobs:
- Bio-sciences
- Chemical Engineers
- Electrical Engineers
- Forestry Professionals
- Industrial Engineers
- Mechanical Engineers
Forest products corporate and on-site offices jobs:
- Accountants and Clerks
- Economists
- Forest Products Processing Supervisors
- Human Resource Professionals
- International Sales Representatives
- IT Specialists
- Logging and Forestry Supervisors
- Manufacturing Managers
- Occupational Health Nurses
- Regional Sales Representatives
- Risk Analysts
Photo credit: Nur Hussein
