2012 Forest Industry National Training Award winners

The search for more skilled people to meet growth expectations in the New Zealand forest and wood sector is gaining momentum. The Hon Nathan Guy, Associate Minister of Primary Industries and the Ministry’s Director-General, Wayne McNee, both attended the annual industry awards in Rotorua last Thursday night.

Mr Guy told over 300 guests that study and training is a major commitment the economy needs, especially in the primary sector. He mentioned the strategic goal of the NZ Wood Council to increase annual export earnings from forestry to $12 billion in ten years, from a current level of under $5 billion.

“The primary industry is pulling the economy along,” he said. The Minister said there would also be opportunity to showcase the sector in the Christchurch re-build.

Dr Brian Rhoades, Chairman of FITEC, the industry ITO which hosted the awards, said the investment in training and how it pays off for the New Zealand economy was shown by this year’s award winners. “The vast majority of tomorrow’s workforce is already in employment, so it makes huge economic sense to focus our training resources on the workplace,” said Dr Rhoades.

FITEC’s CEO, Ian Boyd said the sector has an “enormous diversity of jobs, roles and careers. The development of human capability is what we need to meet the demands of rapid improvement in technology, increased mechanisation and the processing of greater volume of product.”

Photo: Dr Brian Rhoades, Hon Nathan Guy, Wayne McNee and Ian Boyd. To check out this year’s national the winners and read their stories go to: click here.

Return to Newsletter

Share |