Story by Jennifer McCary,
Senior Associate Editor
In the last few years the ongoing energy crisis and economic turmoil, along with market consolidation and changes in timberland ownership, and all the related fallout, have slammed the aging logging ranks. Today, with logging capacity down by up to 30% in some sections of the nation’s forested landscape, with established markets improving and with new energy-related markets emerging, there is mounting concern in the procurement community over the near certain coming shortfall.
Many of the loggers left standing are confronted by another problem: labor. The pool of those willing to work in the woods or drive a truck is also dwindling, and it too is growing older. Where will tomorrow’s woodsmen come from and how will they develop the skills needed to satisfy increasingly technical and stringent performance demands?
In the past, logging was more a way of life passed from one generation to the next. Fathers taught their sons and skills were learned by doing. There was a direct link between their success and a willingness to work hard and put in long hours.
That is generally no longer the case. Many loggers I talk with don’t necessarily discourage their sons or daughters from following their career path, but neither do they encourage it. Many insist their offspring get a college degree they can fall back on in case things don’t work out in the family business.
Actually, there is no direct correlation between educational achievement and success. Best I can see, that’s a myth espoused mainly by educators and politicians. It is true that a worker with a college degree will on average earn more than a high school graduate. But a bachelor’s degree, which usually comes with a load of debt—the national average is $23,000 for a bachelor’s degree—is not necessarily a prerequisite to a successful career. Think of Harvard dropout Bill Gates, one of the world’s richest entrepreneurs. Only 25% of all occupations-professions require a college undergraduate degree or better, according to Gregory Peaslee, a human resources executive at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He says the fastest growing fields in the job market are more skills-oriented and are often achievable with a two year degree or less. That is the case even in the medical field. Surprised? Me too.
The problem is that most young people do not view any job that requires long hours and hard work, albeit sitting in an air conditioned cab, as rewarding or success-oriented. Manual work is generally equated to minimum wages, so they don’t even consider logging as an attractive career choice.
U.S. Dept. of Education data indicates the gap between the earnings of a college grad and a high school grad has leveled off. In fact, between 2000 and 2006, there was no measurable change in that earnings gap.
U.S. labor statistics indicate the recent average annual pay of a logging equipment operator was $33,000, about 10% more than that of the average high school graduate. When I polled a few of the many loggers I have visited over the years, it appears that many step up with competitive salaries that in some instances approach the national average of $49,900 for those holding a bachelor’s degree. Efforts to develop a curriculum and operator training program for potential logging workers have yielded limited and often short-lived success. The trouble is it doesn’t matter how well planned and developed the program is, if it can’t enroll enough students to keep it going, it’s going to be a bust.
What can the wood consuming establishment do to help stabilize the logging force so that it can better deal with its challenges, including attracting and retaining quality workers? I don’t have any magic formula but a few things come to mind: Rethink traditionally entrenched practices and policies. Survey loggers to find out what mill policy and delivery impediments tax their productivity and efficiency. Cultivate the trust necessary to building and sustaining partnerships. Instigate long-term contracts. Turn trucks around quickly. See that any fuel adjustments actually get to the logging ranks.
What can loggers do? I like the hiring philosophy of one logger who told me he tries for 50% younger people, singling out those who show ambition and a willingness to learn. Then he seeks experienced workers with a stable background for the other half. That’s a pretty sustainable combination of mentors and mentees. Unfortunately, they’re often as rare as a spotted owl.