A quick glance in B.C. newspapers’ Help Wanted sections tells the story - loggers all over the province and in Alberta are looking for equipment operators and truck drivers. Drive along Highway 97 or Highway 16 and you’ll see signs in front of shops, drivers wanted, mechanics wanted, operators wanted. Equipment dealers are looking for mechanics, parts and service businesses are looking for everything from service writers to field technicians. Mills are looking for millwrights, electricians and other tradespersons. We’ve heard of forestry companies advertising in the U.S. and Mexico, trying to find drivers, fallers, and equipment operators.
We have definitely hit the labor crunch. As the harvesting sector gets ready for the winter season, some mills are asking contractors to take on more volume. Contractors are hesitating because, among other things, they don’t know if they can find the people or equipment to do the extra work.
CILA and ILA are partnering with a number of forestry and trucking companies to embark on a recruitment and training program to bring new entrants into the harvesting sector. We are also working with Pat Bell’s new ministry, Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, and federal government funding, to find a way to get the program going by this fall.
– Central Interior Logging Association
