FICA.ORG.NZ
your voice The voice of forestry contractors since 2002
backing a great industry A MESSAGE FROM PRUE YOUNGER, CEO, FICA
One has to bite one’s tongue at times when overhearing a group of general bystanders talking about the issues of forestry, generally fairly negatively – whether it’s the delay on the roads with logging trucks backing up at road works or the demise of rural communities with the attractive option of carbon farming. It’s a pity not everyone takes on the mantra that one should always look on the other side of those situations, like that the real reason for the road stops may be that the torrential rain of late has undermined the road and the service provider is taking their time to sort it out. As to the theory that farm land is providing farmers with their chance to sell out or diversify with higher valued crops so really these changes in our current environment are the direct fault of forestry, climate change policies probably have more to answer for than forestry. It is also hard to swallow when we are seen as a sector where every job in forestry involves hard graft, rugged conditions and long hours… so why is it that everyone I come across out on the coalface loves their job? Guess you have to cut the cloth to fit the task. FICA has been involved in many recruitment promotions and this latest campaign, Find your Fit in Forestry, has got it pretty right. The key to getting it right was that it showcases all job opportunities across the whole of the supply chain including jobs in processing that I did not even immediately align to forestry. Saw doctors can categorically be published as a career in forestry. The other success was that we got the potential youth that we are trying to recruit into the industry involved in the content and filming – yes finally not the old stalwarts of the industry developing up what they think youth of today want. Let the potential clients develop up the more appropriate language and platforms that they know will connect and engage. The pending Fast & Forward Forestry EXPO will hopefully expose the general public to the extent that we have grown the adoption of highly technical machinery and mechanisation. It will also provide an overview of how complex the industry is as a whole – that broadly covers everything from roles in a laboratory to finished high value goods at highly technological plants. It is hard due to health and safety regulations to give the general public a trip directly out to the working sites of forestry contractors, where a huge appreciation for the work carried out with fewer people and highly mechanised 46 NZ LOGGER | November 2022
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machinery would be right there to view. Instead we will bring the mountain to Muhammad, with over a hundred large machines coming into the city site in Rotorua at the racecourse. We also have a range of service providers and research organisations that will be there showcasing the important part that they contribute to support this great industry. They are all part of the exciting complex sector that offers a huge range of careers. We have to believe we have a lot to offer, defy the media and back our industry as ambassadors. Working together to get out the positive stories to override the few negative ones takes a force of thousands and there’s no reason we can’t have a team that large to promote the industry with over 35,000 active in our combined workforce across New Zealand and across the individual sectors. The regional forestry awards have done a great job of promoting what’s good about our heroes of the industry with a window of great stories which FICA is taking up to promote weekly across the next 12 months. Social media makes it an easy share, with paid posts and low cost of advertising compared to conventional platforms. Let’s not leave the media to manage the promotion of our industry, as it will inevitably be the wrong story, the worst case scenario and not the right reflection of what makes this a great industry!
Prue Younger CEO, FOREST INDUSTRY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
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