South West Forest Learning Teacher Tour

The remarkable diversity of occupations in forestry was revealed to careers advisers at a local timber industry tour last Wednesday.

More than 30 Vocational Education and Training practitioners and careers advisers from 22 schools around the South West were taken on a tour to the Wellington Discovery Forest, local softwood processor Wespine and the export operations of WA Plantation Resources.

Hosted by the Leschenault Timber Industry Club, the objective of the day was to balance a message of employment diversity and opportunity in the timber industry with sound forest management practice and sustainability.

Club president Brad Barr said the tour had a profound impact on attendees.

“The careers advisers clearly benefited from seeing the scope of these local forestry businesses,” Mr Barr said.

“We are always pleased to show off the many and varied occupations that underpin growing and processing timber into products we know as the Ultimate Renewable.

“We are proud to share our knowledge of best practice in managing native forests and plantations.”

Mr Barr said each year, the timber industry in Western Australia contributes about $1.4 billion to the economy.

“In WA the timber industry creates around 6,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, with 90 per cent of those jobs in regional WA,” he said.

“If we have opened the eyes of careers advisers, we hope that translates into enhanced guidance for students.”