In the hope of meeting the demand the wood council has partnered with Te Uru Rākau (New Zealand Forest Service), Forest Growers Levy Trust, the South Waikato District Council, and the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) to offer a fees free programme through Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
The six to twelve week Generation Programme, which is a more comprehensive version of one that’s been run in Gisborne for three years, offers participants work experience in silviculture, harvesting and mechanisation, processing, manufacturing, technology, office management, health and safety, roading, dispatch, and transport.
Site visits, training simulators, fitness and nutrition, first aid, transportation and licencing, drug and alcohol education, and NZQA qualifications are all built in. Once completed participants will go into paid employment with six months of pastoral care support and options to further train for up to two years to Level 4/ diploma/ degree level.