A new logging equipment operator apprenticeship program offered by the North Idaho College Workforce Training Center will give aspiring logging professionals a hands-on pathway to careers while helping address a critical need for more highly trained logging machine operators.
“This program couldn’t come at a better time for our industry,” said Clete Edmunson, executive director of the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho, which comprises over 520 logging and log hauling companies throughout the state. “With efforts underway at the federal level to vastly increase our domestic timber production, the responsibility to harvest this timber will fall squarely on the broad shoulders of our loggers.”
Edmunson said logging operations have evolved over the last 30 years and become highly mechanized. These modern logging machines require a skilled labor force to operate them safely and efficiently, and the industry is already facing a shortage of logging equipment operators.
“If we don’t address those needs quickly, we won’t be able to fulfill our obligation,” he said.
Expertise from industry partners
The NIC Workforce Training Center’s two- to three-year logging equipment operator apprenticeship begins in June with four weeks of intensive classroom instruction. During this time, participants will focus on learning safety, maintenance, and operation of the heavy equipment essential to modern logging.
Upon completing the classroom instruction period, the apprentices will transition into on-the-job training, where they will earn wages as they gain valuable experience under the guidance of industry professionals.
To facilitate placements with employers in the logging industry, a skills-based job fair will take place at the end of the four-week instruction period.
This event will give apprentices the opportunity to demonstrate skills for potential employers, and the employers will get a firsthand look at what the apprentices they are considering hiring can do.
“This apprenticeship program showcases our commitment to partnering with industry leaders to equip individuals with the skills they need for long-term success,” said Colby Mattila, NIC Executive Director of Workforce Development. “We’re not only helping meet the needs of the business community; we’re creating real opportunities for people to build stable, rewarding careers.”
Edmunson said Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho is committed to helping NIC Workforce Training ensure the logging apprenticeship program is successful.
“Our members are ready to offer their logging machines and their expertise, if needed,” Edmunson said. “And we are confident in the instruction because it will be led by our ALC Workforce Development Specialist Blake Manely, a former logger and teacher, and the perfect fit for the job of training our next generation.”
