Forest industry supports the establishment of flexible operating models that increase professional competence, make responsibilities more diverse and broad-reaching as well as provide good career opportunities.

Forest industry needs people with diverse skills

Manufacturing positions require diverse skills, teamwork capabilities and a good ability to cooperate. Supervisory, management and language skills as well as business smarts are also needed.

In practice, versatility means that a process employee can handle, on top of his or her manufacturing duties, the most common faults or other interruptions occurring at night or on the weekend. As the paper industry involves shift work, it is not necessary for one person to have competence in all matters, however, because a team working one shift will comprise people with a diverse range of different skills.

Versatility also makes it possible to rotate tasks within a shift. If necessary and agreeable to both employee and employer, skilled workers should be able to transfer to a different position or receive training for new responsibilities.

Forest-related training should be developed

Forest industry’s basic degrees and vocational certification programmes need to be developed in order to respond to current and future needs proactively.