Summer program trains 10 more loggers for Maine's $600M industry
File Photo / Courtesy, Professional Logging Contractors of Maine
A 12-week certification program is helping train future loggers, giving them the skills they need to go right into jobs.
Another 10 aspiring members of Maine's $600 million logging industry are training this summer in a joint program of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and Northern Maine Community College.
The Mechanized Logging Operations Program began its sixth certificate class in late June with introductory classes before transitioning last week to active harvesting in the woods northeast of Old Town.
Students enrolled in the 12-week program harvest timber using state-of-the-art machines like those used in the industry.
The hands-on program, launched in 2017 and able to stay on track during the pandemic thanks to safety protocols and the outdoor nature of most of the training, focuses on career-readiness.
"This program offers the most efficient and affordable pathway into an exciting and good-paying career in the Maine woods available," said Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors.
Supported by the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine's Workforce, students pay no tuition or fees, and the program provides all required personal protective equipment.
Additional backing from Skowhegan Savings Bank has helped participants offset personal costs including transportation, housing, child care and other expenses.
"So far, the course is off to a great start and the students are doing a great job," Doran said of the current group, which spent the last two weeks in the classroom learning about basic forestry, first aid and mechanical maintenance before moving into the forest July 11 for hands-on logging training.
Graduation is scheduled for Sept. 15.
The program aims to help employers meet growing demand for skilled operators of feller bunches, harvesters and other mechanized logging equipment that now harvests more than 95% of all timber in Maine.
Maine's logging industry contributed an estimated $619 million to the state's economy in 2017, supported more than 9,000 jobs directly or indirectly and generated $342 million in labor income, according to the PLC.
Maine's loggers are a vital part of the state's forest products sector, which is worth an estimated $8.1 billion annually.
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