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Central Vancouver Island: Think Trades & Technology

Forestry Technologists & Technicians

Job Titles: Conservation Technician, Cruising Technician, Enforcement Officer, Extension Ranger, Fire Suppression Officer, Forest Fire Technician, Forest Survey Technician, Scaling Co-ordinator, Silviculture Technician

What’s It Like?

Forestry technologists and technicians can work independently or supervise in areas of forestry research, management, harvesting, conservation, environmental protection and natural resource management.

Work is available in the forest industry sector, government, consulting firms, or through self-employment as timber cruisers, engineers, silviculture contract administrators and planners.

Forestry Technologists and Technicians may:

• Perform forest inventory cruises, surveys and field measurements
• Develop harvesting plans using mapping techniques and computerized information systems
• Plan and supervise construction of access routes and forest roads
• Supervise silvicultural site preparation, planting, and tending of tree crops
• Co-ordinate timber scaling, forest fire suppression, disease or insect control
• Supervise technical functions in forest harvesting operations
• Educate woodlot owners and community organizations on current forestry practices
• Develop and maintain computer databases
• Supervise forest tree nursery operations
• Provide technical support to forestry research

Money and Benefits

Wages

According to the Association of BC Forest Professionals – 2006 Salary Survey

Designation	Hourly Rate
Entry Level	$17.00 - $24.00
Experienced (+5 years)	$24.00 - $30.00
Management (Senior)	$30.00 - $45.00

Benefits

According to the Association of BC Forest Professionals – 2006 Salary Survey;

Benefits vary by employer with most members receiving in full: medical, long term disability insurance, extended health care and pension.
Vacation varies between two and eight weeks per year, with the majority receiving about four weeks.

Why We're Betting on This

• B.C. Stats estimates over 300 Forestry Technologists and Technicians are employed in the central Vancouver Island region with a projected growth rate of 5.2% from 2005-2009
• There is an estimated number of 25 companies in the central Vancouver Island region that specialize in hiring Forestry Technologists and Technicians
• According to T3’s current Labour Market Research (interviews with local organizations) there has been an increase of over 30 positions in the past three months
• According to the Association of BC Forest Professionals – 2006 Survey; “Retirements and lack of succession in combination with growing stakeholders demands will soon culminate in an acute shortage of forest professionals.”
• According to the B.C. Ministry of Forests “Forestry employs more people in B.C. than any other single industry. By 2010, there will be 33,000 new jobs in this sector.”

Interested? Where to Start

Educational Requirements

Most employers prefer a two year Forest Resources Technology Diploma to work in this field.  This diploma is currently available at Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo.

Educational Institutions

Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo

www.mala.ca/calendar/Technology/forestresources.asp

Forest Resources Technology - two year Technology Diploma Program
This program provides the technical training required for starting a career in most fields of forest technology and is accredited by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board. Graduates of this program meet the required standard for membership in the Association of B.C. Forest Professionals (ABCFP) as Registered Forest Technologists (RFT).

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