Category Archives: Employment

Catalyst Paper said the biggest challenge its Port Alberni mill faces in the future is a looming labour shortage.

The general manager of the Port Alberni mill, Fred Chinn, said skilled employees are retiring regularly from the operation and they need to figure out how to replace them.  Back in the 1990′s, many young workers were let go because they had the least senority.  This has left an age gap in the employment profile.

60 employees have been hired at the mill in the last 18 months.  Chinn said, ”We have to educate people on the possibilities. There are lots of jobs here that people don’t even know about.”

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Statistics Canada‘s latest numbers from February 2013 show the average pay for a forestry worker in Canada has gone up 11% from last year.

The average weekly pay for a forestry worker is now $1,054.68.

By comparison, the average pay for a worker in the ‘mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction’ field is $1,879.77.

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Tolko is one of 11 organizations to receive funding from the Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IEC-BC)’s  Employer Innovation Fund.

This fund’s aim is to help develop initiatives and resources to attract and integrate skilled immigrants into BC workplaces.

The Tolko project will involve the development of a multilingual recruiting website targeted at immigrants and the creation of an inclusive onboarding program to support immigrant integration with the company. Through this project, Tolko will also work to reach and encourage immigrant youth to consider a career in the forest products sector.

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The British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations’ Wildfire Management Branch is recruiting physically fit, motivated and team-orientated individuals to fill fire crew positions for the 2013 fire season.

Interested candidates can apply until Jan. 24 online through the Wildfire Management Branch website: www.bcwildfire.ca/employment

The job requirements are listed on the website, including details about the recruitment process, preferred qualifications and fitness requirements.

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The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased about today’s announcement by the Minister of Citizen, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, concerning a new Federal Skilled Trades Program to help address labour shortages in skilled trades.

The forest products sector in Canada has been struggling to find skilled workers including millwrights, engineers, pipe fitters, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, technologists and more.

To address this shortage, FPAC has set an ambitious goal under Vision2020 to recruit an additional 60,000 workers by the end of the decade with the emphasis on women, Aboriginals and new Canadians.

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Resolute Forest Products is planning to add a third shift to its sawmill on the Fort William First Nation outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

A hiring fair was held today by the company in Thunder Bay.  Dozens of job seekers attended to submit their resume.

Resolute Forest Products said with the lumber market turning around, and more employees retiring from pulp and paper mills, the demand for jobs in the forest sector will continue to grow.

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The National Post made mention today of the shrinking talent pool for Canada’s forestry sector.

“The industry experienced a dramatic job loss across Canada in recent years,” says Jim Farrell, executive director of the Forest Products Sector Council in Ottawa. “I’d say we were pretty much close to the bottom, depending on the part of the country and type of operation.”

The Forest Products Association of Canada estimates there will be 60,000 new forest products industry jobs over the next 8 years.

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It has been more than two months now since the Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake, British Columbia was lost in an explosion and subsequent fire.

Since then, roughly half of the mill’s 250 employees have been able to find other employment – some at other forestry and mining operations in the area.

The government of British Columbia is hoping to help find work for the other half of the employees. The government has held job fairs to help find temporary work and projects for some of the unemployed. Some of the temporary positions are related to recently announced highway upgrades announced for the area.

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Doug Murray, general manager Resolute Forest Products in Thunder Bay, Ontario said he is expecting to hire at least 300 skilled trades-people in the coming years.

Upcoming jobs:

• 90 jobs when the Ignace sawmill reopens in late 2013 or early 2014
• 80 jobs will be created under the $100 million capital investment the company intends to make in Northwestern Ontario between now and 2017
• More jobs at a planned sawmill expansion in Thunder Bay
• Jobs at a condensing turbine project that should be ready to start up by the fall
• 80% of its workforce is expected to retire over the next 3-4 years

Murray says the forest industry isn’t dead.

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Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership (CPLP) has entered into a strategic partnership with the College of New Caledonia (CNC) in British Columbia.

The agreement means the College of New Caledonia will build on its existing strong training partnership to become “the College of Choice” for trades and technology training for Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership employees. “This agreement will create new programs for future students, and help us fill even more of our existing classrooms,” said CNC President John Bowman. “It will also give our students the specific training that one of the region’s largest, well-paying employers wants. While we can’t guarantee our students will get jobs with CPLP, the opportunities will definitely be there like never before.”

Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership President and CEO, Joe Nemeth, pointed out the agreement will not only benefit CNC students looking for careers, but CPLP’s 1,150 employees who want to expand and improve their skills, training and career opportunities within the organization. “This agreement shows we believe in the future of our employees and want to provide them with opportunities for life-long learning and growth,” Nemeth said. “Education is the greatest investment we can make in our people and in the future of northern B.C.”

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