Hello everyone,
I am now on my second blog, and will be talking about the endless job opportunities the forestry and forest products industry have to offer.
A common misconception within the forestry industry is that every job is physically demanding and requires you to be a millwright or have a degree in forestry. When in fact, there are many different roles in a forest products organization that are likely to fit your dream job ideals! My role at Tolko has made me realize that there are opportunities for jobs that you might not have thought to exist but are very important jobs. I would like to share some of them with you.
The first area of study that fits in perfect with a Forest Products industry job is a Business/Commerce degree. Many forest product manufacturing plants require a team of business professionals dedicating their time to ensure the operation goes smoothly. Here are some examples of business-related jobs at Tolko:
Accountant(s)- Handle everything from a financial point of view. Creates balance sheets, income and cash flow statements and provide advice to departments on overall company spending.
Mill/Plant Manager- These managers oversee the operation and budgeting, making sure the mill runs efficiently and within the established KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
Human Resources Business Partner- These managers lead in the hiring of new employees, develop relationships between the community and the mill. They are a key strategic partner in developing and implenting strategies to support mill operations. (I hope to work in HR when I finish University 😊).
There are also many other jobs found in the Forest Products industry besides Business associates. Here are some cool jobs found at Tolko...
Safety & Assets Protection Advisor- Identifies hazards common in the workplace, finds ways to minimize employee exposure to these hazards. They also train new and existing employees on how to stay safe in the workplace with different programs such as forklift, confined spaces, fire watch, and risk assessment training. Another responsibility of our SAPA is making sure the mill is compliant with Saskatchewan’s Occupational Health & Safety regulations. Our SAPA, Sanmi Davids, makes sure that the operation is run safely and effectively.
Controls, System Specialist- Maintains and troubleshoots controls and systems of the mill’s machines. These specialists are some of the most knowledgeable people in terms of mill systems and efficiencies.
Project Engineer- Works on implementing Capital Projects. They evaluate and manage these projects on a technical level. They also work with vendors to integrate the mill systems to fit our operation.
The final area of study I’ll be talking about in this blog is IT/Technology. In a world where technology is progressing exponentially, so are the amount of IT and Tech jobs. Meadow Lake OSB is no exception to this. Our plant’s IT Team does more than your average IT guy. The IT Specialist handles many different things such as...
- Troubleshooting mill systems
- Protecting the company from security threats such as hackers, confidential information leaks and credential mining.
- Making communication between employees easier
- Keeping the plant up to date with computers and software
These are just a few of the many jobs our site has to offer. I’m sure there are many other jobs like the ones I mentioned above, as well as some completely different and unique. Drop a comment if you would like to learn more!
%2C%20Percy%20Guichon%20(right).JPG)
