A Career in the Forestry and Wood Sector“More Than Just a Job – It's A

[Type the company name] [Edition 1, Volume 1] “More than just a job – it’s a passion” Woodlands and Forests Woodlands and forests are a valuable renewable resource worldwide, as they offer a wide variety of life-supporting and life-enhancing benefits to millions of people.They provide wood, absorb and store carbon dioxide, moderate the climate, regulate our supply of fresh water, help prevent erosion and flooding, provide habitat for people and wildlife, and deliver numerous recreation opportunities. Forestry and wood will play a major role in the development of a low carbon economy. What do Forestry Professionals do? Forestry is an interdisciplinary field, linking environmental, social and economic values. Therefore forestry professionals need to develop an understanding of the broader economic, environmental, and social dimensions of managing a renewable resource – woodlands and forests - to consider all users and uses. Forestry professionals work for a great variety of employers: tree nurseries, forest management companies and consultancy firms as well as private estates. Many are self-employed, working, for example, as harvesting contractors, management agents or woodfuel producers. The forestry workforce has traditionally been male-dominated but this is changing, especially in forest management and the charitable sector. Others are employed by national and local governments working in publicly owned woodlands, by research establishments, colleges and universities as well as by non-government agencies and environmental charities. Some work as urban foresters or arboricultural consultants - managing trees in parks, streets and gardens. Forest tourism, social forestry – working with a range of communities - and the emerging global carbon trading sector also offer the prospect of a career in the forestry sector. Starting wage for a forest worker is usually from around £14,000, estate head foresters may earn in excess of £31,000, social foresters and rangers earn between £23,000 and £28,000, senior consultants and researchers can expect to earn from £30,000. Types of jobs - examples Forest managers: - The forest manager has a more managerial role. He/she will be involved in the creation of forest design plans and management plans as well as scheduling of forest operations. This could include planting and harvesting activities and the management of the site for recreation and conservation. Some carry out the functions of a forestry agent (see below). While forest managers may spend much working time in offices, often working with computers using for example GIS, most forestry roles involve working outside, in all weather. A good level of fitness is required and walking over rough terrain is a normal part of the job. Private estates employ one or more forest workers, led by a head forester who is usually a forest manager. Many forest managers are self-employed and work under contract to their clients. Forest workers / Forest craftsperson - Forest workers carry out a range of practical activities including planting, weeding, thinning and felling trees and protecting them from pests, diseases and damage. Forest rangers - Some forest rangers predominantly protect and conserve wildlife in the forest. They will undertake a mix of practical forestry work and site management and may also provide information to visitors and lead guided walks. For other forest rangers working with people is the focus; organising and delivering guided walks, events and education programmes with duties that may also cover working closely with communities and volunteers. Community foresters – Community foresters are often employed by local authorities or charities. They work with communities to establish tree planting schemes and promote the benefits of tree planting in urban and rural settings. They assist with and provide technical advice on tree and woodland planning, planting, establishment and management. Community foresters organise events, activities and projects to raise awareness of environmental conservation and increase community involvement. Urban foresters - plant and maintain trees, support appropriate tree and woodland preservation, conduct research and promote the many benefits trees provide as well as appreciate policy challenges and economic limitations. Urban forestry is practiced, for example by arborists, city planners and environmental policy makers. Green wood workers / coppicers - undertake practical coppice management and add value to the coppice products by producing a range of greenwood crafts. Forestry agents –provide a range of advisory and management roles to landowners (small to large, private to public institutions), to advise on acquisitions and disposals, the planning and implementation of management, sourcing grant opportunities, arranging timber sales on daily or periodic basis. Arborists - Plant, care for, and remove trees in an urban setting. They deal with tree pest and diseases and tree safety. They are employed by local authorities, not-for-profit organisations or are self-employed. The arboricultural / tree officer, for example, may be based in the planning, grounds maintenance or environmental services section within local authorities. An arboricultural consultant provides advice to tree owners and managers and may be self-employed or work for a tree surgery business. Horse loggers - Horse loggers use horses to extract timber in less accessible / protected woodlands minimising damage to the remainder of trees, the soil, or to the flora and fauna. Horse logging has an important niche in smaller-scale forestry. Forest and wood scientists - Depending on their specialism, forest and wood scientists research, e.g. tree growth, wood qualities and processing, forest biodiversity, pest and diseases, and different species and varieties of trees and how these can be used. They typically work in offices, in laboratories, as well as outdoors, often doing fieldwork. Forestry carbon-traders - work on international carbon-, forestry or sustainable investments markets bringing together the buyer and seller of carbon credits. They manage large and complex projects in international settings or smaller schemes in the UK, related to forests or other ecosystems. Many of the international traders are bi-lingual. Case studies of some of the above jobs can be found in the section below – ‘Careers Case Studies’ Haulage Raw material, i.e. wood, has to be transported from the forest to the processing site, for example a sawmill. Road haulage using lorries is the dominant form of timber transport. Information on this part of the sector can be found at www.timbertransportforum.org.uk/ Primary processing As trees are felled during forest management, the wood is sorted into its potential end-uses with larger higher quality logs usually heading for the sawmill. Sawn timber usually goes into construction, landscaping products (such as fencing) or packaging. A growing number of UK homes are constructed with a timber frame. Smaller logs and forest thinnings are destined to make paper, biomass fuel, landscaping products and wood-based panels like MDF. Companies undertaking this initial conversion of wood are called primary processors. The primary processing sector in the UK is highly advanced and at the forefront of technological innovation. In addition to wood grown in the UK, it may also process wood sourced from many other countries, including Scandinavia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and the Far East. Type of work Primary processing includes sawmilling and planing of wood, manufacture of wood-based panels such as plywood or veneer sheets, pulp & paper, and woodfuel production. The industry needs a wide range of skills and knowledge. The manufacture of wood products has traditionally involved skilled crafts and, although becoming increasingly automated, the industry still classes more than a quarter (26%) of its workforce as being employed in “skilled trades”. Plant/process machine operatives and managers are the next largest occupational groups, each accounting for around 21% of the total wood industry workforce. The Wood Skills Ladder (http://www.woodskillsacademy.co.uk/career-ladder) or Prospects4U (http://www.prospect4u.co.uk/england/wood.html) websites provide information on types of jobs, careers pathways and salary figures. Types of jobs – examples Log buyer: The log buyer is responsible for ensuring the right quantity and quality of wood to meet production needs. They may also act as the interface between the growers, the harvesting contractors, the haulage contractors and the sawmill manager or production manager. Sawmill manager/Production Manager: Is responsible for all functions in a sawmill or other wood processing plant, from the input of logs through to the delivery of the product to the customer. They ensure that maximum efficiency and profitability is maintained in a safe environment. Saw doctors: Technicians that look after the saws in saw mills. Saws used in timber mills are very large and expensive. They need careful maintenance for safe operation. Repair of damaged saws requires a high degree of skill. Quality Assurance Managers: QA Managers primarily focus on quality management systems within their companies. In some businesses, quality assurance responsibilities may be combined with other ‘compliance’ disciplines, i.e. environment, health and safety etc. Useful Statistics The forestry and primary timber processing industry contributes £1.7bn in GVA to the UK economy (2012). In 2010, 14,000 thousand people

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