Forestry: Jim Wilmer and Sons praised for training scheme

It’s an issue across the whole sector – with the forestry skills shortage leaving hundreds of professional positions unfilled across the UK – but is especially acute among forest machine operators.

It’s a workforce where the average age is north of 50 and a significant percentage are eyeing retirement in the next few years, but who’s coming up to replace them?

The tragedy is that there are plenty of young people who would love the opportunity to become a forwarder driver or harvester operator (a quick scan of the posts on the Forest Machine Operators Blog will confirm that), but getting trained up with the required skills is no easy task.

Alfie Williams (Image: Bites)

Most are unable to pay their own way through the courses offered by the UK’s handful of training providers. And most employers are unwilling to shell out the required money and time on a new operator who may leave them high and dry. 

After all, no-one wants to invest two years or more moulding a new recruit into a first-class operator only for them to take a job with a competitor, or worse, set themselves up in business against you.

Even if you’re willing to take that chance, the costs are prohibitive. Only last month, contractor Simon Bowes wrote about his own experience of putting a new forwarder driver through his tickets. He said: “We did this on the cheap but within the rules and it still cost a fortune.”

Brian Pullar (Image: Bites)

Kudos then to Ayrshire-based harvesting contractor Jim Wilmer, who has launched his own in-house forwarder driver training programme with the use of simulators and second-hand forwarders purchased especially for the task.

A Facebook post inviting applications from local youngsters with full driving licences and good work ethics resulted in dozens of submissions, eventually whittled down to five.

Jimmy Waters (Image: Bites)

Last month, an update revealed how things were going. He wrote: “The first of our six trainees has completed his first week at the wood and got himself a trusty old 1710D forwarder after doing four weeks training at the yard, on the simulator for a week and on the 1410D training machine for three weeks.

“He has obtained his provisional licence and first-aid course, and is now on site under the watchful eye of one of our experienced forwarder operators to continue his training.

“Trainee number two started on Monday, has been on the simulator all week and finally got on the 1410D training machine this afternoon at 3pm after the workshop finished with repairs and TLC on the old girl, which was bought for training purposes, but put straight into training. Good progress.

Richard Doherty (Image: Bites)

“Trainee number three starts on Monday on the simulator for three or four days, and then on to the second training forwarder a 1910E, so it’s all go our end! To use my old saying, it’s all going on at the Madhouse.”

Sharing the update on the Blog, founder Mark Curtis expressed sincere admiration for what Jim was doing.

He said: “Fair play to Jim Wilmer & Sons Timber Harvesting. It’s the sort of initiative that’s needed and should be supported.”

Simon Flack (Image: Bites)

Others were similarly impressed.

“Fair play to them indeed,” said one. “It’s not bloody cheap, that’s for sure. Even on our small scale of one at a time, it’s costly.”

Another said: “Great initiative. It’s a major job trying to get drivers into this industry. Money is what attracts people into any job, so it’s really up to the contractors. If they want to continue and have drivers going forward, they have to price accordingly with mills and state bodies. Either they pay or there’s no industry. We know that and they know that. It’s a professional job and it’s about time they were on par with electricians, etc.”

Training continued to be a hot topic throughout the month, with a member posting the following appeal for feedback: “We are looking for some FMO training (tractor, timber trailer and crane/grab, drum winch/skidding) and while we know that NPTC/LANTRA provide training, our employer’s learning and development team are trying to do this ‘cheaper’ in house with NPORs training (using an instructor that is unfamiliar with the machine and the principles of forestry working). 

Stuart Connacher (Image: Bites)

“The question is, do you think this is suitable? I don’t. And what would you say are the reasons NPORs would be unsuitable?”

As you might expect, this prompted a flurry of opinion, which we can only hope was helpful.
One member wrote: “There is nothing wrong with NPORs (they are regulated training providers) training as long as the trainer is competent on the machine and accessories that go with it.”

Another said: “NPORs are only really good for using tractors on construction sites. With any piece of machinery, the trainer/assessor needs to be familiar with the equipment or the certification might as well be printed on a cereal packet. An NPTC FMO ticket is the best path to go with a good training provider as you’ll get an instructor from the industry that has years of knowledge in the field.”

Taking a particularly dim view of the training situation was one member, who said: “Unfortunately, in my experience – and I started in the woods in 1988 – the majority of training instructors are people who can’t actually do the job! They can talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk and they know it. Failures. All the gear and NO idea.

Jake Fish (Image: Bites)

“But hey,  ‘forestry instructor’ looks good on the CV, right? Even if they are as much use as a back pocket on a sock. I’ve met so many who would just be laughed off site! So good luck with your hunt, mate. Maybe NPORs is the best and most cost-effective way.”

Meanwhile, a logger from Vermont could only express bafflement: “This amazes me. There is NO training in state of VT. Or probably USA and Canada. I bought my machines and learned how to use them and fix them through trial and error.”

It’s a different world, isn’t it?

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