LABOUR SHORTAGE APPROACHES FOR FORESTRY INDUSTRY

Prince George, B.C. - The Central Interior Logging Association office has recently seen an increase in the number of calls and emails looking for skilled workers.

MaryAnne Arcand, Executive Director of Member Services with the CILA, says they've also noticed more ads being placed in local papers - all are indications of a predicted labor shortage in the forest industry, which is affecting all areas of the province.

Arcand says the shortage is in part due to the fact that many skilled operators migrated to other industries as a result of the economic down turn.

She says with many skilled operators nearing retirement, it's important to get the message out in schools about the wide range of employment available in the forest industry.

Arcand says forestry is the backbone of most small communities in the north, and work needs to be done to keep those communities and contractors viable.