Rotorua rangatahi goes from on the skids to skidderFriday 6 Sep 2024
“I’m pretty proud of how far I’ve come,” says the21-year-old from Rotorua. “Back in high school, I was making trouble and doing dumb stuff, but now I’ve got a good job, life goals, and I’ve accomplished some really cool things.” A free pruning and planting course with Rotomā No. 1 Incorporation proved the perfect springboard, opening the door to a life changing apprenticeship for Alazae. “I always loved being outdoors - riding dirt bikes and stuff like that – but as a kid, working in forestry wasn’t something I’d ever considered. Last year though, I did the Rotomā No. 1 course, and through that, I got my first aid certificate, my forklift license, my working at heights ticket, site safety and my wheels, tracks and rollers endorsement. We spent the first part of the course in the classroom, and then they chucked us in the bush. That’s when I decided I wanted a career in forestry.” Competenz Training Advisor Hamish Gunn was marking off the book work in the programme, and after noticing Alazae’s potential he decided to give him some more industry exposure. “Hamish took me and another guy out to visit Kaingaroa Forest to check out a couple of harvesting crews. I was introduced to the Vanner Logging foreman and in-house assessor Conrad ‘Chopper’ Mill, and on his recommendation to the crew owners, got offered a job!” For Vanner Logging owners Brett and Heather Vanner, Alazae was just what they were looking for. “Brett and I have been in the logging business for 15 years and right from the start we’ve been looking for people with potential, people who are keen to progress. They may have zero forestry knowledge, but they’re enthusiastic, keen outdoor types who don’t mind getting their hands dirty.” Alazae fits the criteria perfectly. “Recruitment is always a battle in forestry, firstly because it’s a very skilled job andsecondly because we have an ageing workforce,” says Heather. “He was exactly what we wanted. We thought to ourselves ‘thisyoung man could have potential’, and boy were we right.” Since starting with the company in December 2023, Alazae has gone from strength to strength. After a month on the chainsaw marking and grading logs, he was enrolled into an apprenticeship with Competenz, and Kaingaroa Timberlands - managers of the largest plantation forest in the Southern Hemisphere - awarded Vanner Logging a generous scholarship to help with his training. Now Alazae is living the dream, driving big machines (he’s currently on a skidder) and making excellent progress on his journey to becoming an operator in log loading and mechanised processing. More >> Source & image credit: Competenz | ||
Copyright 2004-2024 © Innovatek Ltd. All rights reserved. |
