By Scott Parker, Executive Director, North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA)
This survey asked – both at the start and the end – if the participants would be interested in a career in the wood products industry. During the survey, those same respondents were shown a series of statements about the breadth of lucrative and fulfilling careers, and the opportunities to develop life-long relationships with diverse and passionate practitioners. With some brief introductory information, we were able to increase those indicating “yes” to interest in a career in the wood products industry from 9 percent at the start of the survey to 21 percent at the end of it. After completing the survey, another 70 percent indicated “maybe” to the same question.
– NAWLA
One of the greatest challenges facing the forest products industry is staffing shortages. By 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the industry will have 7,000 fewer loggers than it needs. That’s just one of the jobs where there are more open positions than there are people seeking work in the mining and logging, wholesale and retail trade, and manufacturing industry sectors.
While the forest products industry is not the only one struggling to recruit, engage and retain the talent its companies need to grow and thrive in today’s challenging business environment, it is one that also struggles with perception issues by those who have no prior knowledge of the industry.
Without prior exposure through family, colleagues or their schooling, students and young professionals may mistakenly believe the industry is antiquated, environmentally unfriendly or lacking in diversity. As a result, it is rare that young professionals enter into our jobs. To ensure today’s employers are able to secure the right talent to advance their firms, a new approach must be employed.
“Through research conducted on NAWLA’s behalf, in addition to our own experiences for many years now, we know that younger job seekers either hold some misconceptions about our industry or are simply not even familiar with the potential career opportunities in the lumber industry that, if addressed and corrected, would drive them into the lucrative and challenging jobs available that we know to exist in our industry,” said NAWLA Immediate Past Chair David Bernstein of Mid-State Lumber Corporation.
In a national survey last summer of college students (undergraduate and graduate) commissioned by NAWLA, we sought to better understand the reasons behind these misconceptions so that the association and its members could collaborate to more effectively overcome them.
This survey asked – both at the start and the end – if the participants would be interested in a career in the wood products industry. During the survey, those same respondents were shown a series of statements about the breadth of lucrative and fulfilling careers, and the opportunities to develop life-long relationships with diverse and passionate practitioners. With some brief introductory information, we were able to increase those indicating “yes” to interest in a career in the wood products industry from 9 percent at the start of the survey to 21 percent at the end of it. After completing the survey, another 70 percent indicated “maybe” to the same question.
One respondent said, “I haven’t really considered the wood industry before mainly because I have always thought of it as an older industry or something from the past. However, upon looking over that information I do have to recognize that wood is still a large part of our society and serves a large function. It is also possible that the wood industry could provide fulfilling work.”
This promising data leads us to believe that, with a concerted educational outreach effort employing a number of tactics to reach job seekers or those soon entering the labor market, we could easily improve perception and drive students to investigate career opportunities in the forest products industry.
For several years, NAWLA has supported the Forever Forest Initiative, a national traveling exhibit that explores how people use the forest to live, work and play in harmony. Families who visit the exhibit can learn about sustainability, selective harvesting and everyday products made from trees. Since 2017, more than 400,000 people had already toured the exhibit. NAWLA is proud to work with other industry leaders to educate younger children about forestry so that they do not develop the perceptions we are challenged with by the time many people reach adulthood. Now NAWLA will be expanding the scope of our efforts to reach high school and college students.
This spring, NAWLA launched a website (careersinlumber.com) and marketing campaign – Many branches. One industry. – to educate and inspire young job seekers to include the lumber industry in their career search. This campaign will include advertising and educational content on new digital platforms, collaboration with educators and employers, and future career fair participation.
The most valuable asset of this website and campaign is the job board, where all of the available jobs in our diverse industry can be listed for potential applicants. The site is intended to feature job listings that many young job seekers may not consider as part of the wood products industry, including those in accounting, engineering, chemistry, IT, architecture, material design, furnishings, aviation and automotive. The website also features educational videos, “how I got here” stories from NAWLA members about their path to a lumber industry job and other related articles showcasing technology and innovation within the industry.
To help ensure the success of this campaign, we want to make sure any available positions at forest products industry companies are listed. We’ll be featuring some of the more unexpected jobs on those same digital platforms to capture additional job seekers attention.
For the remainder of 2020, NAWLA members will receive an unlimited number of basic postings on the job board, and non-member industry companies can post for a nominal fee. By creating this central hub of industry job postings, you can not only fill vacancies at your firms with open-minded young professionals, you can help to support efforts to do so across the industry.
With those job posts, you are encouraged to add to each listing that your post is NAWLA approved. You can also help ensure the success of this campaign by following Many branches. One industry on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and encouraging others to do the same.
In the coming weeks and months, NAWLA will also be providing Many branches. One industry “campaign in a box” materials industry firms can use at upcoming tradeshows to help us spread the word and exponentially increase the reach of our campaign. Featuring brochures and leave-behind materials, this kit will make it easy for you to dispel common misconceptions about careers in the forest products industry and connect with those who are unfamiliar with the critical role your company plays in our economy and the world we live in.
For educators at high schools and similar education institutions, NAWLA will provide a Many branches. One industry education packet to help create interest and excitement about this industry in students. Teaching aids like handouts, worksheets and PowerPoint presentations, and a student workbook will contain information and guidance on industry careers, and encourage teachers to talk about sustainability. Materials for campuses and career centers that reinforce this packet will be provided as well.
At NAWLA, we know and have long asserted that ours is an industry that offers a diverse pool of lucrative and rewarding careers, the opportunity to leverage technological advances and countless chances to establish a network that supports you your entire career. We are confident that those who hear that message through the Many branches. One industry campaign will open their mind to the possibilities that await them at one of our industry firms.
