Workforce Development Project
Groups Study Forest Workforce Issues
Concerns over recruiting and retaining qualified and committed workers are rising among America ’s manufacturing businesses.
Idaho ’s sawmills, logging and transport businesses are looking for ways to help them better compete for quality workers and keep the industry viable in the future.
The Associated Logging Contractors, Intermountain Forest Association and Idaho Forest Products Commission have teamed up to sponsor a study of forestry workforce issues. The group wants to learn what individuals, businesses, organizations and government can do to help forest businesses in the Idaho region improve their ability to competitively recruit, hire and retain a high quality workforce.
Request For Proposals (RFP) - (pdf, 35kb)
Dr. John Garland of Garland and Associates in Corvallis , Oregon will conduct the project. Dr. Garland has been involved with numerous forest workforce projects and is Professor Emeritus of forest engineering at Oregon State University .
The project will consist of four parts; an overview, a survey, a report and a summit. The overview will gather timely and relevant information on current and future forest workforce issues. The survey will solicit the opinions, observations and suggestions of employers, employees and others about workforce issues. The report will summarize the survey findings and provide a slate of possible recommendations the forest industry might implement to improve their competitive advantage in recruiting, hiring and retaining a qualified workforce in the region. Finally, the summit will provide an opportunity to present and discuss the project findings with members of Idaho ’s forest business and develop actions that businesses, associations and government agencies may implement. The summit will be held in spring of 2008.
Comprehensive Idaho Timber Workforce Overview, by Dr. John J Garland, PE (pdf, 492kb)
Report of a Survey of Idaho Timber Workforce Issues (pdf, 419kb)
Initial Summary of Findings in a Survey ofIdaho Timber Workforce Issues (pdf, 28kb)
The Overview is the first phase of the Workforce Development project. The next step will be a survey of people in various segments of the forest products industry to identify opinions and observations of workforce issues.
Following the survey's completion, Dr. Garland will prepare a Report including survey findings, a slate of short-term and long-term workforce challenges, an outline of the benefits and barriers to working in forest businesses and opportunities, ideas and recommendations to improve the competitive advantage of Idaho's forest businesses to recruit hire and retain a highly-skilled and committed workforce.
The Report will provide the platform for a Summit to present the Report findings and develop solutions that the forest industry can put into practice in their businesses, associations and trade organizations.
The Summit is scheduled for May 13, 2008.
Timber Workforce Development Summit
A Summit to consider, evaluate and implement solutions to Idaho's timber workforce challenges |
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Red Lion Templin's Hotel
414 East 1st Avenue
Post Falls, Idaho |
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Idaho's sawmill, logging, forestry and transport businesses are looking for ways to better compete for quality workers and keep the industry viable in the future. The Associated Logging Contractors, the Idaho Forest Products Commission and the Intermountain Forest Association have teamed up to sponsor a study of forestry workforce issues and a summit to consider and evaluate possible solutions.
The workforce project is being conducted by Dr. John Garland and includes an overview, survey and report on workforce issues for forest businesses. The Idaho Timber Workforce Overview outlines current and future forest workforce issues. The Survey solicited opinions, observations and suggestions from employers, employees and others about workforce issues. The Report summarizes the survey findings and provides a slate of possible recommendations. The Overview and Report are available online at www.idahoforests.org.
The Summit will bring together sector business leaders and others to discuss the report findings and recommendations, suggest additional approaches, evaluate alternative proposals, and begin implementation of workforce improvement efforts. Dr. John Garland will lead the Summit participants to develop specific actions for the future which will be outlined in a final report.
For Information about the Idaho Timber Workforce Development Project, contact:
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Forest business owners, employers, related organizations, state and federal government organizations are encouraged to participate in the Summit. Registration fees and lunch will be provided by the Associated Logging Contractors and the Intermountain Forest Association. This is your opportunity to be involved and make a difference for the future.
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For more information about the workforce project, contact the Idaho Forest Products Commission at 208/334-3292 or
e-mail ifpc@idahoforests.org.
 
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