Our Forestry Workforce Development Plan contains further analysis of Industry, Workforce and Learner data trends.
Forestry industry trends
The industry is has seen challenging conditions with Covid and recent weather disruption but has stabilised and increasingly adopting new technologies which is driving new skill requirements.
Forestry is the country’s largest renewable biomass resource1. Today, forests cover 38% of the land – that’s 10.1 million hectares of forests, of which 2.1 million hectares are plantation forests. Ninety percent of the plantation forests are planted in radiata pine, and most of these forests are privately owned for commercial timber production2. More than 30% of the land that is under plantation forestry is Māori owned, in addition to large areas of indigenous forest. It is estimated that 18% of businesses in Forestry are Māori owned, with Māori trusts and incorporations owning $4.3 billion of assets in the industry3. Despite decreasing by 20% in 2020, export revenue for Forestry has bounced back and remains stable. Export revenue in June 2020 was $6.58 billion, constituting 12% of the total export revenue for the food and fibre sector. While the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on the Forestry industry remains unclear, export revenue for the June 2023 financial year was forecasted to increase slightly $6.6 billion and remain stable, with a slight forecasted drop in 20244. The Industry has been increasing investment in automation and new technologies which will impact on the labour requirements5.
Forestry workforce trends
The workforce has been increasing over time but has high levels of seasonal variation (which affect how forecasts should be treated). The Forestry production workforce as a whole is forecast to increase by at least 12% by 2032 with increases concentrated in higher skill role types that will require increased levels of training. The workforce currently has low levels of formal qualifications and would need a substantially higher than requested level of investment to reach industry benchmark parity (see Appendix C for more detail on the methodology).
Forestry workforce overview and highlighted demographics
In 2020, 16,710 people worked in Forestry, but in 2021 there were only 6,095 Forestry learners. This might indicate that a significant number of people are entering the workforce through other pathways. The number of Forestry learners who identified as Māori in 2021 is 37%, which is higher than the amount of people in the workforce who identified as Māori in 2020, which is 32%. However, 22% of the workforce identify as female, whereas only 6% of Forestry learners identify as female. This is more than double the amount of people in all Muka Tangata industries in 2020 who identified as Māori (16%), but lower than the percentage of the workforce who identified as female in 2020 across all Muka Tangata industries (34%).
Forestry workforce forecasts
MPI forecasts, using the conservative ‘BAU Scenario’, are for an increase in worker numbers – particularly in higher skill level roles. We have mapped these forecasts to the roles and related qualifications for each of our industries and used them as an input to the level of increase requested for each qualification. See Appendix A: Translating MPI workforce forecasts to learner enrolment numbers for more details.
We are currently reviewing all the forestry qualifications, and these will be available for 2025 (in fact we expect the new qualifications to be in place in 2024). In the meantime, we are still recommending increases in learner numbers across the full suite of qualifications (see below) so that you can see the relative size of required learners and to ensure that learners will continue to be funded to meet the workforce skills needs of industry.
Which specific qualifications and credentials do you want to see growth in (that can be supported by TEC investment in 2025)?
| Qualification or credential | Mode | Specific regions? | Scale of change you are seeking for 2025 | Evidence of workforce need – include as text below the table or an attachment | Evidence that this provision will meet the workforce need | WDC-assigned priority level (for this advice) |
| New Zealand Certificate in Forest Industry Foundation Skills (Level 2) [2325] | 10-15% | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. While the industry will see increasing need for more managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, the current workforce has relatively lower skills levels, and with no qualifications at all, that will need to change. Industry has indicated that training on health and safety in particular are critical and this applies in particular for new entrants. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Forest Industry Foundation Skills (Level 2) is designed to provide the forest industry with individuals who have skills and knowledge relevant to entry level roles in a forestry operation, with an emphasis on applying basic risk management, emergency procedures, and communication systems, when carrying out work within a forestry operation, as well as, working safely and effectively as part of a team to meet quality requirements within a forestry operation. | High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 3): Basic Machine Operation, Breaking Out - Cable, Landing Operations, and Tree Felling [2326] | 5-10% | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology, but the industry needs to change its existing worker skills profile in order to achieve this. In particular, the Forestry industry has indicated that it needs employees who are skilled in machinery operation and health and safety generally, but also specifically to the areas they are working in. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 3) builds the skills of health and safety responsibilities, risk management, emergency procedures, and communication systems to maintain safety during forest operations. It also provides the skills to protect personal wellbeing and team relationships, as well as, the skills of standard operating procedures and apply good work practices to operate equipment accordingly to carry out tasks specific to forestry operations, both generally and in the areas of the specific qualification strands. |
High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Forestry Operations (Level 3): Basic Machine Operations, Mensuration, Production Thinning, Planting, Pruning, and Thin to Waste [2334] | 5-10% | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology, but the industry needs to change its existing worker skills profile in order to achieve this. In particular, the Forestry industry has indicated that it needs employees who are skilled in machinery operation and health and safety generally, but also specifically to the areas they are working in. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Forestry Operations (Level 3) builds the skills of health and safety responsibilities, risk management, emergency procedures, and communication systems to maintain safety during forest operations. It also provides the skills to protect personal wellbeing and team relationships, as well as, the skills of standard operating procedures and apply good work practices to operate equipment accordingly to carry out tasks specific to forestry operations, both generally and in the areas of the specific qualification strands. |
High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Tree Felling and Clearing (Non-Production) (Level 3): Optional strand in Hazardous Tree Felling [2336] | 10% | Increasingly workers outside of the forestry industry are needing forestry skills to fell and clear trees – as evidenced in the recent Cyclone Gabrielle. These workers generally lie outside Muka Tangata’s industries (ANZSIC codes), but we hold the qualifications. As such, we have not engaged with the relevant industries on these skills, but understand that there is an increasing demand for them. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Tree Felling and Clearing (Non-Production) (Level 3) is intended for people who are in the Department of Conservation, the Army, rural fire fighting, forestry (supervisors or security), road construction and maintenance, and track construction and maintenance. It provides the skills to operate safely and effectively in roles outside of the forest industry (non-production) that involve the felling and clearing of trees. | Medium Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 4): Cable Extraction, Ground Based Extraction, Mobile Cable Yarder, Head Breaker Out, Loading, Log Making, Mechanised Felling, Mechanised Processing, Spotting, Swing Yarder Extraction, and Tree Felling [2327] | 5% | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology. The Forestry industry has indicated it needs employees who are skilled in machinery operation and health and safety. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 4) provides the forest industry with individuals who have the skills and knowledge required to be employed in a production role in a harvesting operation. They will hold a senior position within the crew and will be able to contribute to the planning of a harvesting operation. They will be able to make decisions regarding their area of specialisation. Graduates will be responsible for the safe and efficient operation of forest harvesting plant and equipment without supervision. Graduates will also be responsible for the maintenance of plant and equipment and will be capable of maintaining productivity within the operation. |
High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Forest Industry Operations (Planning and Monitoring) (Level 4): Harvesting, and Silviculture [2330] | 5-10% | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology. Health and safety are an important skill need identified by the Forestry industry. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Forest Industry Operations (Planning and Monitoring) (Level 4) provides graduates of this qualification will be able to: • Plan, communicate and supervise work within a forestry or harvesting operational team. • Manage health and safety systems within a forestry or harvesting operational team. • Carry out safe behavioural audits within a forest operation. |
High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Forest Operations (Level 4): Mechanised Land Preparation, and Mechanised Thinning [4174] | 15-20 learners | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology. Machinery operation is an important skill need identified by the industry. |
The New Zealand Certificate in Forest Operations (Level 4): Mechanised Land Preparation, and Mechanised Thinning enables graduates to operate mechanised plant and equipment safely and efficiently without supervision and maintain plant equipment while retaining productivity within the operation. | High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 4) [4175] | 25-30% | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology. | The New Zealand Certificate in Forest Harvesting Operations (Level 4) targets the skill development of the workforce in the semi-autonomous worker space, enabling workers to: • apply and coordinate workplace health and safety, risk management, emergency procedures, and communication within a team, while ensuring risks to the physical environment, areas of cultural and/or historical significance value are identified and protected in forest harvesting operations • apply technical skills and knowledge of a wide range of heavy equipment to carry out tasks specific to forest harvesting operations • apply technical skills and knowledge of systems and processes to achieve and maintain production levels in an operational role in a forest harvesting operation. • contribute to the planning and monitoring of a harvesting operation. |
High Priority | ||
| New Zealand Diploma in Forest Management (Level 6) [2329] | 20 learners | MPI workforce forecasts note strong increased international demand for forestry and wood processing, with a flow on effect across the value chain for more workers. This workforce demand will focus on managers and semi-autonomous workers as the skills needs in forestry change, particularly in response to increasing use of technology. In addition to health and safety, leadership and people management have also been identified as skills needs by the Forestry industry. | The New Zealand Diploma in Forest Management (Level 6) provides the forest industry with individuals who have the skills and knowledge required to carry out a technical or management role within the forest growing and harvesting sectors. The forest industry will benefit from having people who can apply a blend of management skills and forest knowledge to enable them to contribute to the medium and long-term planning and management of forest operations. They will have developed a broad range of skills including the use of a wide range of industry specific software, forest planning, harvesting, supply chain management, log product logistics, commercial and financial analysis and contract management. |
High Priority |
| We have several qualifications with either low enrolment numbers or where any increase would be very small. These qualifications are still important for our industries, but we are not in a position to give a specific increase. We do not expect there to be large demand for these qualifications, but want to ensure that any extra enrolments are funded. We welcome discussion on any proposed delivery numbers that seem excessive. The qualifications are: |
| New Zealand Certificate in Log Stock Management (Level 3): Log Marshalling, and Log Scaling [4173] | Medium Priority |
Which specific qualifications and credentials do you want to see changes in?
As we note in our overarching advice, we have not been specific about mode at a qualification level. However, in general, we recommend a preference for workplace training as part of the mix of the provision across all of our industries. This could include both work-based training and campus-based learning that include a strong component of practical ‘on job’ experience in a workplace setting.
Are there qualifications or credentials that you are developing or plan to develop that will be available in 2025?
| Area of provision and/or qualification/ credential name (if known) | Level | Mode (if specific) | Qualification or micro-credential | Estimated date it will be available | Description of content (10–20 words) | Name of qualification or micro-credential this will replace (if relevant) |
| Forestry Qualification Suite Review: including stackable MCs | Should be available in 2024 | A comprehensive review of all the forestry qualifications – including incorporate te ao Māori and mātaraunga Māori into the qualifications, is currently underway. |
| Other Forestry MCs also under development as part of the Forestry Qualifications Suite Review: |
| Forestry – Earthworks MC (working with Waihanga Ara Rau) | Should be available in 2024 | |||||
| Forestry - Log Scaling MC | Should be available in 2024 | |||||
| Forestry L5 Qual – Leadership | Level 5 | Should be available in 2024 | Forestry L5 Qual – Leadership Level 5 Should be available in 2024 Targets an industry-identified gap in skills and career progression. The qualification is aimed at people who have industry experience and wish to develop their leadership knowledge and skills. |
Footnotes
5. IBISWorld