Forest and Wood Products

The Forest and Wood Products industry includes forest growing and management activities for timber production, the manufacturing of a diverse range of traditional and non‐traditional wood‐based products, and the distribution channels to deliver and sell these products. Distribution is achieved either through retail and trade merchants or, wholesalers, manufacturers, importers and exporters.

What does this industry cover?

Businesses in the Forest and Wood Products industry have been investing heavily in new technology, to increase production, safety, robotics, and state of the art machinery. Other technologies include drones, sensors, laser scanners, tree breeding and big data to better understand forests and wood products.

The Government is planning to increase the size of plantations by a billion trees to address not only climate change but to meet the domestic and global demand for wood and fibre.

By replacing concrete and steel with engineered wood products in midrise buildings will have substantial environmental benefits due to less carbon intensive construction methods.

Job hunting preparation

The two available apprenticeships in this industry are through completion of Certificate III Saw Technician or Certificate III in Woodmachining.

The Forest and Wood Products industry is a significant employer in regional and remote areas and the Federal Government has announced nine Regional Forestry Hubs to stimulate growth for new plantation prospects and encourage a local workforce.

The priority skills required in this sector are: information and communication technology skills, middle management skills, high level financial skills and specialised skills.

Information for further research

Industry information is published by peak level associations, government and major employers. Accessing industry association sites, including member lists, is a good way of building up an understanding of an industry. Visiting employer websites and looking for careers or employment menus helps identify how employers recruit and the skills they are recruiting.