Tim Cumine reports on discussions at the Forest Worker Zone (FWZ).

THE Forest Industries Safety Accord (FISA) and the Forestry Contracting Association (FCA) shared a platform in the APF’s Forest Worker Zone (FWZ) to discuss forestry skills. Along with the Forestry Commission (FC) and Landworkers Alliance (LWA), organisations spanning the range of workers’ concerns spoke to each other about how to support training.

The FWZ gathers those who are as interested in the people as in the products of forestry.

Thursday’s session began with Steve Fowkes (FC, Sector Skills) reminding visitors that, with the industry under contract to put 260,000 hectares of new woodland in the landscape by 2050, “we don’t have enough people to do the work we need done now. There are many dedicated and hard-working people in the sector, and we need more of them”.

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Steve’s role is to “access funding, bring people round the table, to make sure that all the appropriate people are part of the conversation”, and acknowledged co-operation of IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education) who channel government training funds to industry.

To that end, FC and APF support the Forest Worker Zone which this year brought together FISA, FCA, LWA, MWMAC, Focus on Forestry First, Small Woods (SWA), National Coppice Federation (NCFed) and Cloud Forest to discuss forestry skills.

Neil McKay reminded the room that FISA emerged out of the HSE’s call to remedy the forestry industry’s “terrible record” and that “the more skilled our workforce is, the less likely it is to have accidents and incidents”. 

"We’re pleased to see increasing mechanisation in forestry, with potential to shield workers from the perils of hand-cutting," he said. " Though it needs to be set up and operated correctly to avoid creating more hazards in the workplace."

This year FISA has set up a sub-group to the FISA FWM Working Group, which will engage with trainers and training providers to notify and consult on new FISA guidance and safety information. 

The FCA’s Nick Adams laid out the difficulties for employers finding workers with the correct skills, given the job can be so varied. Improving support to businesses and workforce with better competency frameworks could draw workers into the industry from neighbouring sectors. Nick voiced the dilemma for many contractors that late confirmation of contracts is no friend to any, and that those who invest in training need confidence in work ahead to keep trained staff in place. 

Karina Ponton voiced the view from the LWA. She described the challenges of entrants to forestry facing high competition for the few funded apprenticeships, unsure where to find openings, or how to choose between providers offering very similar content at very different prices.  Karina wondered whether a single list of training opportunities might make access easier and invited more landowners and managers to reach out to invite workers to acquire skills.

Highlighting challenges and opportunities ahead, Steve Fowkes reminded the talks of the FC’s Level 6 Professional Forester Degree and Level 3 Forest Craftsperson Apprenticeships, yet recognised that smaller-scale contractors aren’t used to the responsibilities of having employees. 

Toby Allen and Tim Cumine Toby Allen and Tim Cumine (Image: FJ/Anastasia Gandzha)

Finding the right trainees to invest in and having faith that they will stay to help grow the business is already a really big ask for a sole trader.  

Added to the current climate of late confirmation of contracts makes for challenging structural problems that we have yet to solve.  Steve also reminded the talks of FC’s support to a national coppice apprenticeship scheme, gathering NCFed, SWA and the Bill Hogarth Memorial Apprenticeship Trust.

Discussions were hosted by Tim Cumine, membership secretary of NCFed.

Organiser Toby Allen had also commissioned a ‘forestry works in progress’ poster, issued free to those completing a Forestry, Trees and Woodland Skills Survey.