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Forestry Skills

Tim Crowley, (Managing Director, Coillte Forest):

“Due to the high level of risk involved in forestry operations, both from a personal injury and environmental damage perspective, Skills training is critical to ensure that all operators are fully competent to carry out their  tasks. The ongoing availability of the appropriate skills training in the forestry sector is absolutely vital to ensure a safe and productive industry that manages the environment in a responsible manner. The training courses that have been funded by the Forest Service through FTEI have not only assisted the industry to operate in a safe and responsible manner, but have also ensured the industry has the capacity to provide consistent timber supplies to the timber processing sector.”

        

Christy Nolan, (Chairman Irish Forest Contractors Association):

“Training is essential to meet the criteria to sustain the high standards required to meet the changing culture, in Forestry Operations. As we are aware Forestry is needed to secure our children’s future, (re Greenhouse Emission Controls) and will save Ireland millions of Euros in buying Green Credits. Funding is essential to keep Skills Training at the Fore Front.”

Marianne Lyons, (Ballyhaise College):

"Training in forestry skills contributes to the goals of sustainable forest management and helps to ensure that everyone working in the forest industry is trained to a high standard. Forest operations require specialised skills and without training many operators would be non-compliant with health and safety legislation. Funding for forest skills training forges the opportunity to invest in a sustainable and diverse industry by providing specialised training which can otherwise be prohibitively expensive for many forest operatives. The provision of funding for the forestry skills, in the current economic climate ensures the retention of people who are often based in rural areas. These employees often have limited opportunities for alternative employment. The new skills can build confidence and enhance prospects for development in the future."

Sasha Bosbeer, (Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology):
"The skills training GMIT students gain as part of their course is essential to their career development and to their better understanding of forest management. The funding FTEI provides makes this possible."

Tom Kent, (Waterford Institute of Technology): “Higher education students, by choosing to study a course in forestry, have made a commitment to a career in the forestry sector. These students are important stakeholders in Irish forestry, as current disseminators of forest policy to the wider community and future leaders of the sector. Training of practical forestry skills is most efficiency done, to maximum benefit to the forestry sector, at best value for money, at this point of their career, rather than later in on-the-job training.
    Ireland’s developing forest sector requires forestry graduates with the ability to operate independently and possessing a wide range of practical, technical and professional skills. The profession of forestry and forest management requires scientific knowledge, technological application, management ability and practical experience.  Higher education in Waterford Institute of Technology has the resources for the first three, but along with all other third level colleges is not funded by the Department of Education to provide the latter.
    Skills training allows higher education forestry students earn money while furthering their education and career.  Skills training decouple a student’s ability to be economically independent from their level of education.  This is particularly important for students that fail to complete their studies or graduate with poor academic results. All forestry students benefit from forestry skills training: through developing a skill that allow them to earn; develop their self esteem and confidence and gives experience to those graduates that enter forestry at management level.
    Practical forestry work such as chainsaw operation or herbicide application is inherently dangerous.  These operations are a fundamental part of forest management as specified in the Forest Service Code of Best Forest Practice.  Thus there is an obligation on the Forest Service that all operators in the forestry sector should have the required training to ensure personal safety.
    In addition certificates of competency are a pre-requisite in many cases for employment due to insurance concerns.  Many jobs in forestry, for which students and recent graduates are highly suitable, require these certificates of competency. Also, Coillte as the states largest employer of forestry graduates has a number of additional skills training pre-requisites for certain jobs within the company, such as timber measurement and inventory.” 

"Funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007-2013"