Sean MacPhee works in the woods of Georgefield, Hants County. (CATHY VON KINTZEL / Truru Bureau)

A LOVE OF the outdoors led Sean MacPhee to a career in forestry.

The owner of S & D MacPhee Forestry in Upper Rawdon said he got his start in the forestry business as a truck driver and expanded his business based on passion and experience.

He now employs about 15 people, has two forestry crews, four tree harvesters that cost $400,000 to $500,000 each, three log forwarders and four logging trucks.

He said his greatest challenge as a business owner is finding and retaining good employees.

"There are always opportunities," he said, adding that most of his firm's equipment operators are trained on the job and work their way through the ranks. "You start at the bottom and work your way up."

Mr. MacPhee said the hours in the year-round business are long but the pay is decent.

"Nobody complains too much," he said, joking that he should be working for himself.

Does a career as a woods worker appeal to you? Read on.

NATURE OF THE WORK
Logging machinery operators operate cable yarding systems, mechanical harvesters and mechanical tree processors to fell, yard and process trees at logging sites. They transport trees from logging areas to landing or loading sites; perform felling, slashing, bucking and bunching operations at logging sites; and load logs or trees at landing sites.

SKILLS
You must be alert and responsible. An awareness of safety is important. You should enjoy working outdoors and be prepared to spend time in isolation. Physical stamina and co-ordination are needed.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
High school completion and a minimum of one year of logging experience are usually required. Experience requirements vary depending on the complexity of the machinery to be operated. On-the-job training is provided by the employer. This can vary from three to 16 months, depending on the complexity of the machinery.

Certification as a heavy equipment operator and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System certification may be required for some jobs.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Workers in this occupational group should be prepared to spend their days at a noisy work site that may also be dusty or muddy. Logging machinery operators are exposed to vibration and very hazardous situations, such as moving logs, snapping cables and falling trees. Over long periods of time, hearing may be impaired by the high noise levels of harvesting operations if safety precautions are not taken. Long working hours are often required, particularly during peak operating seasons.

Employment in the logging industry can vary significantly from one year to the next; so job prospects will rise and fall along with the industry.

WORK PROSPECTS
Historical demand for logging workers has been reduced by increased automation and more efficient harvesting practices, and it will probably continue to drop. The logging industry experiences fairly high turnover because the work is demanding and dangerous.

The Canada-United States softwood lumber dispute, commodity prices and the housing market are all factors that affect employment levels in this occupation. While it is expected that housing starts will be tapering off in 2006, this may be somewhat offset by a strong renovation market.

Although projected retirements in the coming years for this occupational group are significant, this will result in few job openings.

LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION