Forestry scholarship programme invests in young Kiwis

GUEST

Career opportunities in the forestry and wood processing sector continue to attract talented young New Zealanders, with seven more applicants this year joining the Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – Forestry Scholarship programme.

“The forestry and wood processing sector is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing industries and offers great careers for people of all ages and abilities," says Alex Wilson, Director, Forestry Engagement and Advice, Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service.“Forestry involves much more than growing and harvesting plantation forests.

It also employs skilled professionals that care for the forest environment, plan and manage forests, manage people and resources, work with modern technology, and operate multi-million-dollar machines and equipment."Our industry is ever-evolving and for modern forestry to thrive, we need to grow capability and diversity in the workforce by investing in and employing more people from a diverse range of backgrounds with a broad range of skills.

“The scholarship programme, now heading into in its fifth year, provides another pathway into the industry and widens access to tertiary study for Kiwis interested in professional forestry degree programmes,” says Ms Wilson.

To date, 30 students throughout New Zealand have received scholarships since 2018, with the first students expected to complete their qualifications at the end of this year. “We are very excited to see our first cohort of students graduate this year and look forward to welcoming them to the workforce. By taking up careers in forestry and wood-processing, these students will be an important part of a future forestry workforce that deliver for the climate, nature, people and economic outcomes,” says Ms Wilson.

The successful scholarship recipients for the 2023 academic year are: Charlotte Talbot from Wellington; Jasmine Hagan and Jean Morton from Rotorua; Maggie Crawford from Christchurch; Mataia Cotterill from Auckland; Rauiri Moorhead from Nelson; and Tuawhio Porima from Levin. They will study Forestry Science or Forest Engineering at the School of Forestry - Kura Ngahere, at the University of Canterbury.